Kitsune no Me
by SilentliketheNight
Summary: Being kicked out of the orphanage, Naruto lives in the forest of death, discovering an ability given to him when he was born. He, with some help, will become what he was meant to be. A Shinobi of Konoha. I'm not good at summaries. Harem.
1. Pilot

This is my pilot chapter for a Naruto fanfiction. I doubt this will be very good, but you know, it's still fanfiction. Anyways... yeah. Hope it's okay. It's a harem.

Just for the record: Naruto= Fishcake or Maelstrom, Momo= Peach. Kitsune no Me = Eye of the Fox

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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><p>(October 10th: Day of the attack)<p>

It was the day that Konohagakure would never forget. The day that everything changed. No one had expected this to happen, it was all so sudden. But that day engraved itself into the memories of those who had survived. The roar of the fox sounded across the whole village of Konoha, and a wave of killer intent covered the area. Buildings were destroyed, or rather obliterated. There were no signs that anything was ever there. Fire spread through the village, polluting the air with the smell of smoke and blood. People left and right fell from the huge beast's rampage. Whether they were man, woman, child, no one could escape death once the beast had it's sight on them. Ninjas tried hopelessly to push it back, but the efforts were futile. It seemed that everything would be destroyed, but in the last moment, a large red toad wearing a blue happi vest, and a dosu blade appeared with a person on his back. The man had spiky yellow hair, and bright blue eyes. He wore a flak jacket, and a white coat bearing the words "Yondaime Hokage(Fourth Fire Shadow)." His name was Minato Namikaze. He was the leader of Konoha, and it angered him to see his village in ruins. He stared at the fox with nothing but malice. Minato faced Kyuubi with either bravery, or stupidity in his heart. In his hands, was a small child with the same looks as the Hokage.

"You have desecrated my village," he said, as Kyuubi started to charge. "Begone, demon." Kyuubi shot a jet of fire, confident in killing the man who threatened his rampage. The fire ripped through the land, incinerating everything within it's range. But, he was surprised, when the fire had never hit the man, nor the toad. He was witnessing his own flames being sucked into the infant's eye. The baby whimpered at the unusual sensation. "Go, Gamabunta!" The giant toad nodded, and charged the beast.

With swelled cheeks, Gamabunta yelled, "Suiton: Teppodama(Water Release: Gunshot)!" a condensed sphere of water shot from Gamabunta's mouth, hitting the Kyuubi hard. The beast staggered. Gamabunta used the moment to hold the bijuu down. "Hurry, Minato!" Kyuubi raised it's claws, and made a scratch on Gamabunta's left eye.

The Yondaime went through a series of signs. At first, nothing happened, but then the Kyuubi was awestruck as the ghostly figure of the Shinigami appeared. The fox stopped dead in it's tracks, as fear overcame it. After all, it was natural for Death to be feared. "Shiki Fuujin!" (Dead Demon Seal Jutsu) In a flash of light, seen by everyone in the village, the Kyuubi disappeared into the body of the small child. Yondaime stumbled, and hugged the baby. He could feel the life inside of him diminishing, but he held on to the infant, as tears had begun to accumulate from his eyes. "I'm so sorry, my son, but there was no other way. I hope that one day, you will forgive me for burdening you like this, and that you will proudly protect this village, just as I have. There was so much that I wanted to do, but those are meaningless now...Heh. Looks like I won't be able to watch you grow into a wonderful person, fit to be a shinobi." By now, his grip was lessening, and his skin was becoming paler. The drops in his eyes had become a flood of tears. "I just wish that your mother was alive, to take care of you. Oh, Kushina. I'm sorry to you as well. But, I will see again soon." Minato looked at his child once more, and kissed his forehead. "Goodbye, Naruto." And with that, Minato collapsed, his back hitting the head of Gamabunta, who had also started crying. That night, the cries of Naruto echoed through the ruins of the village.

(October 10th 4 years later)

"And stay out!" a woman yelled, kicking a 4 year old Naruto out of the orphanage. Naruto stood up, and rubbed his back, before glaring at the woman who had hit him. He picked up his several pieces of clothes and looked back at the orphanage. Naruto was a young boy, with spiky blonde hair, and a beautiful shade of blue eyes. On his face were whisker-like marks, making him look a bit feral. Naruto only wore a black shirt with a small spiral pattern on the stomach area, and brown shorts. The same went for the clothes on the ground. It was all he had, and it was all he was ever going to get. He never had that many clothes. The blonde looked down, and held back the tears that had begun to pour.

"It looks like I don't have any place to stay," he muttered, before turning around. He found Sarutobi Hizuren, the Sandaime (Third) Hokage looking down at him, with a kind smile. The old man wore his Hokage robes, a haori over his red kimono that was fastened by a white sash. And on his head was a red and white hat with the kanji for "fire", that covered his short spiky grey hair. He had a goatee, and 3 lines below each his eyes. Naruto backed away, in slight fear. "Who are you?" he asked. "Please don't hurt me." At Naruto's scared voice, Hiruzen was taken aback. It filled his chest with pain, as the boy looked at him with fear in his eyes

"Naruto Uzumaki," Sarutobi said, making the boy tilt his head, wondering why he knew his name. "It seems you've met with something very unfortunate. I've been told that the owner of this orphanage was not treating a certain someone with care, so I came to see if that was true. Looks like they were right." He cleared his throat. "Arrest the owner." Several ANBU appeared, as if from nowhere, without a word, and carried on with the Hokage's order. They broke into the orphanage, and the sound of things crashing, along with the screams of children fill the area. "We'll be replacing the owner, so do you want to return to the orphanage?" Naruto shook his head. Sarutobi fished out a pipe, and put it up to his lips. He inhaled, before releasing a cloud of smoke from his mouth. Naruto grimaced at the smell of tobacco, and covered his nose and eyes. Hiruzen chuckled at the child's face. "I see. Then I will have an apartment ready for you, right away. Will that be satisfactory, Naruto-kun?" To his surprise, Naruto repeated his action. Sarutobi pursed his lips, and rubbed his goatee. He didn't expect Naruto to refuse so suddenly. "What? You don't want a house? But then where will you stay?"

"I... don't want to stay where I can be hurt," Naruto replied, his voice cracking. "I just want to live." Sarutobi stared at the blonde, with pained eyes. In less than four years, the blonde had gone through more pain that he, considered to be the God of Shinobi, had experienced in his life. "I'll live somewhere, but not where people can hurt me. Thank you for the offer though..." He looked embarrassed, not knowing the name of the person he was talking to.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, I'm the Sandaime Hokage." Naruto's eyes widened.

"Well thank you, Hokage-jiji, for the offer. I'll be going... somewhere." He began to walk away.

"Wait, Naruto." The boy turned around, and raised his hands in time to catch a bag. "Happy Birthday. Just place some chakra on the scroll inside. I'm pretty sure you can do, that right?" Naruto nodded and bowed, before he went off again. Sarutobi watched in regret, as Naruto ran off somewhere. He wanted for once, to abuse his power as the Hokage to make sure he was happy, but sadly he could not. He could not bend the rules for this one time that was the most important. He puffed again, releasing the smoke into the air. He looked at the dark clouds that had gathered in the sky, wondering if Kami-sama also shared his sadness. "I'm sorry your life had to be this way, Naruto-kun. It was certainly not your father's intention that you be the pariah of the village. No, he wanted you to be the hero. If I could, I would've took you in from the beginning, and spared you the pain. I should have told everyone who you were from the very beginning. Minato would be disappointed in the village, and me." The ANBU came out, with the owner tied up. The woman struggled with all her might, but she could not get out of the ANBU's grasp.

"He is a demon!" the woman spat. "It was a good thing he ran away! He will die, on his own!" Sarutobi glared at the woman, wanting to kill her himself.

"Send her to Ibiki," he ordered. The ANBU ninja nodded, and took the screaming woman away.

(Forest)

Naruto ran his lungs burning from the amount of time he had run in order to find somewhere to live. He had never felt so free. He felt like he could go anywhere. Naruto ran and ran, until he found a bunch of trees bunched together. There wasn't much to it, but it made sure that no rain could enter inside, and that no one could see him inside of it. He climbed the branches, and entered a hole that was big enough for him to crawl into. Inside the trees was a large space. It felt like he was in a hollow tree.

"I guess this will do," he said, as he landed down, and sat on the floor. "This will be my home. I should be safe here." He untied the bag, and found some clothes. Several pairs of clothes that would last him for at least a few years.\. He also found a kunai, and a scroll. Like he was told, Naruto poured some chakra, and out came a cake, along with some eating utensils. It was only a one layer cake covered in chocolate frosting. On it, were the words "Happy Birthday, Naruto." The blonde smiled, his thoughts wandering back to that old man, who had called himself the Hokage. It was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for him. "Happy Birthday to me," he muttered, as he began to dig in to the cake.

In a nearby tree, a Kage Bunshin of Sarutobi had followed the blonde, to know where he was. At one point, he had gone ahead of the boy, and gathered the trees in a fashion that would be suitable for living in. He had even added a seal that camouflaged in the bark, that maintained a livable temperature that was neither too cold, and not too hot. He would at least do something like that for him.

"Be well," he muttered, before dispelling.

(1 Year Later)

"Get away!" Naruto yelled, as many animals chased him across the woods. He currently had some fruit in one hand, and his kunai in another. "I just wanted some food." The animal didn't respond, and continued hunt down the small child. Naruto made many turns, and leaps across the trees, but couldn't shake the angry inhabitants of the forest. He eventually reached the dead end, and was trapped between 2 boulders. Naruto tripped on a rock, spilling all the fruit. Ignoring the food, Naruto backed up, little by little. There was no where he could go, and the animals were already closing in. "Just leave me alone!" He demanded, as the animals closed in on him. "Just GO!" Naruto's left eye turned red, and a jet of fire burned down all that came in it's way. Naruto looked in horror, as the animals that chased him, burned in front of him. He soon fainted.

(Mind)

Naruto awoke to the sound of water splashing, and the dripping. Each drip created an echo that went everywhere. Naruto opened his eyes, and sat up. His clothes were all wet, along with his hair.

"Water?" he asked, looking around. He found himself in a dimly lit sewer, with pipes littering the walls. It was so damp, and musty, that Naruto's nose wanted to leave his face and run away. Overall, there was nothing inside. He turned and saw a wall...and then another wall...and then another wall...A cage, a wall, and- Naruto did a double take. He found a large cage, like ones you would see in a prison, but this was much MUCH larger. On the middle of the prison door was a large paper with the words seal. "Where am I?" Right then, a large smiling face appeared from the cage, making Naruto shriek and back away. The face made a creepy guttural laugh, that shook his whole body, and sent a wave of fear through him.

**"So this is my jailer,**" it said. **"A scrawny little kid. How embarrassing."** Naruto backed away. **"What's wrong, kit?** **You afraid of foxes?" **Hearing that, Naruto stopped. Whatever the thing was, it scared him. But he did not like anyone who called him scared. The blonde took a deep breath, almost gagging, and stood up. He planted his foot into the water, and faced the face.

"Fox?" he repeated, a bit curious. He thought back at the orphanage in which he was kicked out of a year ago. "That's what the people call me. 'Demon Fox.'" The face laughed again, making Naruto cover his ears.

**"HA! You are hardly a fox, except your birthmarks. A true fox is sneaky, sly, and deceiving. You should be honored, kit, for you are looking at the leader of foxes."** The body of the face came into appearance, revealing a large fox's body. It had sharp looking fur the color of Autumn leaves. It was a very bright orange red that dazzled the blonde. Strangely, the upper part was less like a fox, and more humanoid, with opposable thumbs. Naruto could tell it was a powerful being. **"Relish in fear, kit. I am the Kyuubi no Yoko. The Nine-Tailed Fox!"** The fox pressed up against the bars, and was suddenly electrocuted. It cried out in pain, alarming Naruto. **"Argh! These damn bars!" **Naruto walked through the cage, and up to the large figure.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked. "Are you hurt?" Kyuubi seemed puzzled. This was not something a normal person would do, if someone was trying to scare you. It let out a small growl.

**"Are you not afraid of me, child?" **Naruto nodded his head, before he focused on the fox's fur. Though it looked sharp and painful, Naruto wanted to touch it. So, gathering courage, he stepped up, and placed his small hand on Kyuubi's fur.

"Soft," he muttered, and continued to pet it's fur. There was smile on his face, as he began to climb on the Kyuubi's par, or rather hand. The fox raised it's hand to it's face.

**"...You are either very brave, or very foolish. What's your name?" **There was a playfulness in it's voice. Naruto flashed Kyuubi a grin that looked like a fox's.

"Uzumaki Naruto." Kyuubi tensed a little, a move not noticed by the boy, who was playing on the fur like he was in a field of grass.

_**'Uzumaki,'**_ it thought._** 'From one Uzumaki, into another. So annoying.'**_ **"Kit, I have seen your life through your own eyes. Nothing has been going right, ever since you were born."** Naruto looked sadly, and nodded his head. **"Would you like to live? To survive?"**Naruto whipped his head up to the fox's head.

"Yeah. That's what I want." Kyuubi chuckled. "Don't laugh. I don't want to die!" The fox seemed to feel the boy's determination. There was a twinkle in it's eye.

**"Neither do I, for your life force is my own. Very well. I will teach you everything I know, about the ways of the ninja."** Naruto jumped in happiness, at the thought that he would be able to protect himself. Kyuubi set the boy on the ground, and Naruto saw this as a sign that he had to get off. Suddenly, the form of the fox turned to smoke, and was replaced by a girl with looks people would describe, as a goddess. Her face held a young look, but also had a feel of someone who experienced much. It seemed timeless, between the innocence of a child, and the strength of an adult. Crimson eyes stared at him, making him feel a bit intimidated, if not for her gentle smile. Her red hair cascaded across her back, all the way to her legs. She was dressed in black clothing, with a mesh shirt underneath her dark red jacket. She had on shorts, that reached just a bit above her knee. Her legs were slender and smooth, and shined in the dull light. Her hands were wrapped in bandages, but left the fingers revealed. And on her back, fastened so that it went sideways, was a wakizashi . Naruto looked on with surprise. **"I don't know how much you'll do, or how far you go, but I know one thing. You will become, a Shinobi of Konoha. But before I train you, there is something you need to know. What you know about my attack, is incorrect. What really happened was that on the day of your birth, there came a masked man with a doujutsu(eye technique) called the Sharingan He was able to control me, and bring me into a rampage. I could not do anything, surprised that I was pulled out of my second host, but he only looked at me once, and that horrible eye took over my body. The next thing I knew, I was trampling on your village. But soon, another man appeared, riding a large toad. He was somehow able to summon Shinigami-sama, and seal me away. So... here I am. Kyuubi no Yoko trapped inside a lowly human boy."** Naruto looked at the Kyuubi in surprise. He felt sadness for her, since she was forced out of a body, controlled to destroy, only to end back to being sealed.

"That's sad," he replied. "I didn't really think of your attack that way. I was told that I _was_ the Kyuubi. Kyuubi smiled, and ruffled the blonde's hair.**  
><strong>

** "Well thanks you for your understanding. Now go, Naruto. I will teach you, after you rest.**" And with that, the girl touched Naruto's forehead. He instantly began to sway, as his eyes rolled up, and his eyelids closed. She whispered the word "sleep" into his ear, and he did just that.

(3 Years Later)

A 8 year old Naruto was currently practicing his Taijutsu, while sticking to a tree, when a blur in the forest going towards him, caught his attention, and he instinctively raised his hands. The blur went another direction, and he was sent to the ground with a mouthful of grass. A red haired and eyed girl sat on his back, straddling his waist, with a kunai to his neck. Her other hand was constricting his two hands.

"I've always told you," the girl said. "Be ready for surprises. I can attack your front, but actually go for your back. Now stand up, fishcake." She got off the boy, and Naruto stood up. He spit up the grass in his mouth in disgust, wiping the rest with his mouth. He wiped his mouth, and glared at the girl

"Would you stop calling me that, you freaking fruit?" A vein popped on the girl's forehead, before promptly smacking Naruto on his head. The poor boy went down, and rubbed his head in pain.

"It's Momo. And at least 'peach,' is better than a ramen topping." Naruto looked at the girl with a confused look.

"What's ramen(Note: He has not had ramen... yet)?"

"Never mind that. Anyways, I have something you might want to know. It's a kinjutsu(Forbidden Technique)" Naruto instantly focused all his attention on the kitsune. Something like this was only taught by Momo once, and if he did not pay attention, he would miss it forever. "It's called the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu(Shadow Clone)." She threw a scroll at Naruto, who quickly opened it.

"The user's chakra is evenly distributed among every clone," he read. "Giving each clone an equal fraction of the user's overall power. The clones are capable of performing techniques on their own and can even bleed, but will usually disperse after one or two solid blows. They can also disperse on their own. The clones will be created in roughly the same condition as the original. Warning: Takes a large amount of chakra. Huh. Nice." He made a cross sign with his fingers, and channeled chakra. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," he announced, as a poof of smoke littered the area. As the smoke cleared, it revealed tons of copies of Naruto. They all had the same fox grin plastered on their face. And meanwhile, Momo was inspecting each one. She pinched one on the face har enough to leave a mark, before dispelling it. The real Naruto suddenly brought his hand to his cheek.

"Amazing," Momo said, looking at all the clones. "You have enough chakra to make a one-man army. This could help with your training. A Kage Bunshin's memories go back to the original, when they dispel." Naruto was rubbing his cheek. Hearing this, Naruto couldn't be happier.

"Awesome! Clones! Spread out, and train!" The clones saluted, and disappeared in a blur. Momo walked up to Naruto, and shoved a piece of cloth at him. He inspected it. It didn't seem that special looking. Was it supposed to be a handkerchief? "What's this?"

"It's a special cloth that I want you to wear over your eye. It will make sure that your eye does not spew out fire at random." Naruto took the cloth, and wrapped it around his head, covering his left eye. "You have a powerful weapon there. The fire of Kyuubi." Naruto took her hands in his, and brought them up to his face. He was shorter than her.

"Thank you, Kyuu-chan," He jokingly thanked, pissing off the bijuu. As soon as he said that, he found himself pinned against a tree, with steel cutting into the back of his neck. He laughed awkwardly.

"Do NOT call me that, you got it? I swear, being sealed in a human sucks."

(3 Years Later)

Sarutobi was currently in a meeting with Iruka Umino. A young chunin with pineapple haircut, and a scar across the bridge of his nose. He wore the standard chunin vest.

"Hokage-sama," he said. "Are there really no other people to enroll in the Academy?" Sarutobi puffed a ring of smoke, from his pipe. "We don't have as much as before." The Hokage sighed.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "There doesn't seem to be any others. But... there is one that I want to enroll, if you want him." He leaned in, with Iruka following his action.

"Who is it?" he asked, curious as to who the individual could be.

The old man looked around, before whispering, "Follow me. ANBU, make sure we are not being followed. Thuds sounded in response. Iruka and Sarutobi used shunshin(Body Flicker) to go to the Forest of Death entrance. Iruka tensed.

"Hokage-sama? Who would be crazy enough to be in here?...Other than Anko, of course." The Forest of death was feared for the winding paths, the creatures, and of the bodies said to lie around. There were even accounts where people thought they saw someone watching them. They said that they saw a single red twinkle in the darkness.

"I'm sure you'll remember him. He was very young, when he came here." The two crossed the forest until they spotted a bunch of trees pressed together. It was the same one that Sarutobi had made for the blonde that day, so many years ago. The two took notice of one part in the forest that was completely charred. The smell of smoke was still fresh, to their surprise, meaning that it was recent. It was then that a voice entered their ears. To their surprise, since they did not sense anyone's chakra.

"Hokage-jiji?" the voice questioned. Sarutobi and Iruka looked up to see a boy of 12 sitting on a branch. He was dressed in animal skins, and a cloth covered his left eye. His yellow hair went everywhere, making him look rugged, and his blue eye seemed to pierce their souls. "Is that you? Long time no see." Sarutobi smiled, seeing the boy again.

"Hello Naruto-kun," he greeted. "How have you been?" Naruto stood up, and jumped down, landing softly on the ground.

"I've been okay. I'm alive, so that's good." Sarutobi and Iruka suddenly gained a say expression, hearing what he said, and how he said it. It was very solemn. "Was there something you needed?" Sarutobi nodded, and with a waved of a hand, motioned to Iruka.

"Yes. I have brought the Chunin teacher Iruka Umino here, and I wish for you to join the Academy." Naruto raised his eyebrows, and Iruka gasped. He turned to the Hokage.

"Are you sure it's okay to enroll him?" He asked. Naruto turned to Iruka, his face one of slight anger. He seemed annoyed, as he scratched his head.

"Another man of prejudiced nature , I see." The Hokage and the teacher looked surprised. Iruka shook his head, and took a step forward. Naruto stepped back, and took out the kunai that the Hokage had given him

"I'm not being prejudi-" Naruto cut him off.

"I know of the one sealed inside of me. It's the prisoner, and I'm the prison. It is wise not to assume that I am what I carry."

"You mean you know of the... you know?" Naruto nodded, and patted the seal on his stomach. Without a proper shirt, it was completely visible.

"I've even conversed with Kyuubi. What you know about the Kyuubi attack is very inaccurate. It was not Kyuubi's fault that she attacked the village. A man with... a certain ability was able to control her, and make her attack Konoha. And before you say anything, do not make a sexist comment, yes, she is a girl and no. As long as she is within me, she will not be controlled." The two didn't say anything. "Now about that offer..." Naruto shrugged. "Why not? I'll enroll in the academy. But isn't it already halfway into the year?" Iruka nodded.

"Well yes, but all you really need to do, is pass the test in the end of the year. And I'm not one of those who think of you as the Kyuubi. Trust me." He offered a smile, which Naruto took indifferently.

"Very well. See you tomorrow, Hokage-jiji, Iruka-sensei." Sarutobi and Iruka nodded, and walked away. When Naruto couldn't see them anymore, he turned his head to the nearest branch. "Come out, Kyuu-chan." A blur dashed through the trees, and Naruto raised his arms in defense. He was sent to the ground, in a small crater, with a red haired girl fashioning a kunai at Naruto's neck.

"How many times have I told you," Kyuubi growled "It's not 'Kyuu-chan?' It's either Momo, Momo-sensei, or Kyuubi-sensei." She detached the kunai, and stood up. "Stand up, gaki." Naruto did so, knowing well enough not to disobey the bijuu.

"Don't call me 'gaki,' furball. And what is it with you putting a kunai to my throat." Momo punched Naruto towards a tree. He groaned in pain.

"Because I can, fishcake!"

"It's 'maelstrom,' peach." Naruto sighed. "Why are we even fighting?" he asked.

"Because I still don't like being sealed into a pathetic person."

"You're just teasing, you freaking tsundere." Momo responded with another punch. "Ugh. It's a good thing you reinforced me with strong skin, but your punch still HURTS!" Momo smirked.

"Well get ready for the outside world. You'll find very powerful foes, that would love for you to die. Although they won't be as powerful as me, of course."

"It's okay. Remember this?" Naruto tapped his eye cloth. "One second, and they'll become dust."

"Don't be too dependent on that eye. My fire is not one to be dealt with lightly."

"Right..." Suddenly, Naruto became quiet, as he looked at where the Hokage and that other man had gone to. "Momo. Was it a good idea to go back to the village?" Momo sensed Naruto's conflicting feelings, and shrugged.

"Maybe. You're strong though. You can survive very fatal hits. Now don't mope so much, gaki." She patted him on the back. Naruto's eye twitched.

"Don't call me that, you walking piece of fuzz!"

(Sarutobi)

"He has changed," Sarutobi muttered, as he did paperwork. He was surprised to see just how much he had changed compared to back then, at that orphanage. "He's no longer the innocent boy back then, but a serious young lad." It was then that he noticed that his secretary secretly put more paperwork for him to do, and ran away. Sarutobi's pipe trembled, before it broke, seeing all the new paper. "Damn you paperwork!"

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><p>Pilot chapter done. Notice how Kyuubi doesn't really like Naruto yet?<p>

For the harem, I know I'll put in the following:

Fem. Kyuubi(now named Momo)

Fem. Haku

Hinata

Tayuya

Review/Flame


	2. School

Chapter 2 up. Hope you like it.

It's time for school, for Naruto.

I get all my appearence info, from Narutopedia.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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><p>Naruto woke up to a loud noise. He quickly stood up, and prepared his kunai. But seeing that there was no one there, he scratched his head. The sound repeated, and Naruto realized that it was coming from outside. He wondered if that pineapple haired man was there to kill him. He didn't exactly make a good first impression on him. Naruto climbed outside. He had made the opening bigger, and concealed it behind a mound of leaves.<p>

"Who's there?" he demanded. Naruto looked around, only to find Momo banging her fist on his "house" "Oi!" he called. The girl stopped, and grinned at the blonde. "What are you doing? It's so early in the morning." Momo threw clothes at Naruto, who caught it easily. He looked at the items with confusion. First of all, where had they come from?

"You can't go around in those animal skins in the village," Momo explained. "So I... borrowed some clothes from the store." Naruto remembered that he had agreed to go to the academy. If he knew that he had to wake up so early every morning, he might've reconsidered. The boy looked at Momo blankly after realizing something.

"So basically, you stole them." Momo wore a proud smile, and nodded, to which Naruto rolled his eyes. "Well you are a fox." He went back inside his "room" and put on the clothes. It was a simple short sleeved shirt over a long mesh shirt, and black cargo shorts. The area just above his right knee was covered in bandages. And on that, Naruto attached his kunai pouch. It fit snugly. Naruto looked at his new clothes, wondering how he looked. He didn't exactly have a mirror. His wild blonde hair was sure to catch people by surprise. He wondered if he should have trimmed it, or maybe dyed it a different color. Just then, Momo's voice broke his train of thought.

"Come out!" Momo yelled. Naruto sighed, and did as he was told. Once outside, Momo handed Naruto a sleeveless long coat with a hood, to which he gave her a confused look. "It's so I can hide," she explained. Naruto blinked, even more confused.

"EH?" Naruto said. "You are not coming with me. And how can you hide in this?" Momo rolled her eyes, and pinched the boys cheek. By then, the two had already been the same height. Granted, Momo could always change her body measures whenever she wanted to. Naruto winced, and rubbed his cheek.

"Just put it on." Naruto shrugged, and put the jacket on. The bottom reached down to his lower legs. It, like the rest of his new clothes, was black. He was starting to get a little warm. When he looked back at Momo, he noticed she wasn't there. He felt something touch his ankles. "Down here, gaki." The boy looked down, and found the bijuu on the floor as a small fox with soft fur the color of Autumn. "Don't you dare say anything." Naruto ignored her, and picked the little vixen to his face.

"Ha. Now you really ARE a walking ball of fluff. Look at you, you're so cute!" Momo gained a tic mark, and scratched Naruto's face. "Ow! Freaking vixen." He threw her in his hood, and headed off. "You better stay quiet." Naruto took a deep breath, and began to run outside the forest. With a burst of chakra, he leaped high above the fence that restricted the outside world from entering the forest. From then on, Naruto jumped from rooftop to rooftop, towards the Hokage Tower. He had a vague memory of how it looked from when he still lived in the orphanage. Looking at the citizens, not noticing him at all, he bit his lip. "Hey Momo. Do you think anyone remembers me?" Naruto watched all of the civilians on the ground, talking amongst themselves, as if nothing was wrong in the world. "Wonder if their opinions are still the same."

"I don't know, Naruto. But that's not what you should be thinking about right now." Naruto nodded, and entered the Hokage tower via windows. If he had gone through the front doors, no doubut people would freak out. Upon entering, he found Sarutobi furiously attacking the papers on his desk. Sweat had accumulated on his forehead. "He looks busy." He walked up to the man, who did not even notice his presence. Feeling annoyed, Naruto went to touch the man's shoulder.

"Hokage-jiji," Naruto said, startling the old man, and making all the papers scatter. Sarutobi looked at the mess, frozen in his spot, before tearing up.

"So many papers," he cried. "I don't remember which ones I've signed, and which ones I have to do." Naruto sweatdropped, seeing the "Shinobi no Kami(God of Shinobi) crying over paperwork. Sarutobi looked at him with wet eyes. "O-oh Naruto-kun. I can't find your enrollment papers. I'm sorry." The blonde boy sighed, and made a cross with his fingers.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." Several copies on Naruto came into existence, and started picking up the pieces of paper. Sarutobi was surprised to see the clones. "I'll explain later. You guys look for the enrollment paper. We only have 20 minutes left. And help straighten out the files." The copies nodded, and continued their work. Meanwhile, the original looked at the old man, his arms crossed, and his hand rubbing his chin in amusement. "So Hokage-jiji, don't you have some other people to do these papers for you?" Sarutobi gave him a look of tiredness. The bags under his eyes seemed to have bags of their own, he was that tired. He shook his head sadly.

"Unfortunately, only the Hokage can do these things. It's so tiring." Naruto thought for a while, before coming up with an idea. He flashed the old man his fox grin that he had grown so accustomed to. He should copyright it, or something.

"So only the Hokage, can work on these? So you're telling me that if there was somehow _MORE_ of you, you can let the other you work, and you can relax." Naruto said "more" blatantly, as to make his point. Sarutobi didn't get it. "Maybe a way to _MULTIPLY_ the number of help." The old man didn't seem to understand. He looked at the blonde with a look of confusion.

"What are you trying to say?" The jinchuuriki slapped his forehead, and yelled in frustration.

"Use Kage Bunshin, Hokage-jiji!" The old man stared blankly. He blinked once, twice, before his head met his desk. "Oi. Your gonna make a mess again."

"Oh, Kami, I'm the biggest idiot in the world! I'm so thick! Miister thick thickity thick face from thicktown thickannia! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A single clone of Sarutobi appeared next to him. The Hokage couldn't control his happiness, as he propped his leg up on his desk, and pointed to the sky, as if laughing at the ceiling. "I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, have conquered the Hokage's worst enemy: Paperwork! And I needed help from a... little...kid."He found Naruto giving him a weird look. He gave the old man and awkward smile.

"...Your welcome, Hokage-jiji." Sarutobi looked down, and noticed something. He picked it up, and handed it to Naruto.

"Ah. Here's your enrollment paper. You better hurry, since you only have 10 minutes left." Naruto took the paper, and hurriedly jumped out the window. "Use the door, next time!" Naruto roof jumped as fast as he could, towards the Academy. He wanted to make it on time to his first day.

"Slow down," Momo scolded, trying to grab onto anything, so she wouldn't be thrown out of Naruto's hood. "It's hard to stay in here." Naruto countered by going even faster.

"Then you shouldn't have come with me," Naruto retorted. "We're almost there, anyways." True enough, the Academy was only a few houses away. Once he entered the building, he walked around, until he realized something. "I don't know where my class is." He could here Momo's fox laugh. "Shut up." He walked through the halls, until he saw some people. It was two boys, and a girl. The two boys looked like any other, that he's seen in the village. The girl however, looked different than most. She had blue hime-style with chin-length strands framing her face. She wore a cream-colored hooded-jacket with a fire symbol on the upper right and left sleeves and fur around the cuffs and hem, with navy blue pants. He'd seen that symbol before, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Hey Hyuuga," one of the boys said. "What are you doing? Get out of our way already." The girl looked conflicted with nervousness, as she pressed her fingers together. She looked like she was trying to say something, but the boys never gave her a chance.

"Well?" the other one demanded. She pushed the girl. "Not so frightening without her Branch members, is she, Kuma?" The boy known as Kuma smirked. Naruto's eyes widened. At the mention of "Branch members," he finally remembered. The girl must've been part of the Hyuuga clan. A clan quite unique to the ninja world, because of their famous Byakugan. And by the way the boy had said what he said, it seemed that the girl was of the Main house. Although the girl was unlike any Hyuuga he had ever seen. Not that he had seen many, but he always thought that the Hyuugas had sticks up their asses. Anyway, the other boy scoffed, agreeing with what his friend had said.

"Nah, Keitai. In her Hyuuga mansion, she's a princess. But in real life, she's just a pathetic little girl." The two boys started pushing the girl around, like a ball. Naruto clenched his fists, angry at how they treated girls.

"Aren't you going to help?" Momo asked from Naruto's hood. Naruto sprang into action. Before the boy named Keitai could push her again, Naruto took hold of his hands, and knocked him down, by kicking his legs. He caught the girl, and set her down nearby.

"Oi." he said. "Mind telling me why you're picking on this girl?" The two boys looked at Naruto nervously. His appearance intimidated them. Keitai had stood up, and glared at the blonde, but was now fearful at how easy he had beaten him.

"Sh-she wa-was in our way," Kuma replied, stuttering. Naruto laid down a layer of Killing Intent that froze the two bullies. The girl beside him trembled a little, but was grateful for his assistance.

"And that's a reason to shove her around?" Naruto asked. Just then, the two steeled their eyes.

"H-Hey! We're training to be ninja! We won't let a civilian push us around." The two boys charged at Naruto, with cocked fists. Naruto slapped both fists, and stepped forward, making Kuma and Keitai slam into the walls. He forced down his laugh, as the two rubbed their faces.

"I never said I was just a civilian. Didn't anyone tell you not to charge an enemy?" He turned to the girl. "And who might you be?" The girl looked alarmed, but then she began pushing her fingers together, and looked down. She had a slight blush.

_He saved me?_ she thought. _Why did he do that? _"Hi-Hinat-Hinata Hyuu...ga_," _Hinata stuttered quietly. She bowed. "Ari-Arigato."

"It's okay," Naruto replied. "By the ways, do you happen to know where... Iruka's class is_?" _Hinata suddenly ran inside the door next to her. It was marked, "Iruka." "Ah. Here it is. See you later, greenhorns." Naruto left the two boys on the floor, and entered the room. Iruka immediately recognized him, and smiled. The other students looked at him in confusion. He caught this, and grinned at them.

"Naruto!" Iruka greeted_. _"So you enrolled?" The boy nodded_._ "That's great. Now hand me your papers." Naruto handed the Chunin the forms_. _"Okay. Say hello to the class. Everyone, this is Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto turned to the class, and waved. He spotted Hinata, and smiled at her. She looked away, with a blush. "Have a seat wherever you want." Naruto, feeling a bit lazy now, took the first seat closest to him. He sat next to a black haired, black eyed boy. He wore a blue, short-sleeved shirt with a raised collar and a crest the shape of a fan on the back. He also had white arm warmers, along with white shorts.

"Hey," Naruto greeted. The boy ignored him, and stayed in something he thought of as a brooding pose. "Are you alive?"...He snapped his fingers in front of his face. "You're pretty quiet, aren't you?" Right then, he felt someone poking his back. Naruto turned, and found a boy with distinguishable features. The boy's appearance, was much like that of a dog, like sharp canines. His pupils were black slits, and there were fang like marks on his cheeks. He wore dark greyish pants reaching to his calves and a grey, hooded fur-lined coat, with the hood placed on his head, over an apparent plate of armor and fishnet undershirt.

"You shouldn't bother talking to him," the boy said playfully. "He's Uchiha Sasuke. Try as you might, he won't move much. All he does, is that brooding pose. The name's Inuzuka Kiba, by the way." A white puppy's head popped up from his coat. "And this is Akamaru. My partner." The two shook hands.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and my partner is in my hood. Though I'm not from the Inuzuka Clan." Momo poked her head from Naruto's hood. "She's a fox, as you can see."

"Nice. Hope we can spar, sometime." Both made a grin that looked reminiscently like their respective animal. At that moment, the door opened, to reveal two girls. One of them, a long pink haired girl, wore a red qipao dress with white circular designs, and dark green shorts. The other, a girl with platinum blond hair in a ponytail with a strand sticking out, wore a short purple vest like shirt with a raised collar, a skirt that was cut off on the sides and bandage on her stomach and legs. She also wore purple and white elbow warmers. The girls shoved each other, trying to enter the room first.

"Out of my way, Forehead Girl!" said the blonde.

"No way, Ino-buta(pig)" retorted the pink haired girl. Naruto watched the little spat in amusement. Kiba snickered.

"The blonde is Yamanaka Ino," he explained. "The pinkie is Haruno Sakura. They're the two most loyal, and obsessive, of all the Uchiha fangirls. You know, you should probably move. They tend to get violent, when someone is sitting next to their 'beloved' Sasuke." The girls finally entered the room.

"I was in first," Sakura yelled. "I get to sit next to Sasuke-kun!" Ino pushed her.

"No, I was first!" The two fought until they reached Naruto's seat. And only then, did the two notice his presence. They ran to him. "Hey you! That's my seat!" He tried to smile a friendly smile.

"No, it's mine! Wait...who are you?" Naruto waved his hand.

"Uzumaki Naruto," he said simply.

"Well, Naruto. Here's a rule. Never sit next to our Sasuke-kun. Got that?" Naruto pursed his lips, before leaning back. His feet raised to the top of his desk, as he shrugged.

"I don't see why I have to leave my seat for fangirls." This made Sakura angry, and she sent a fist to Naruto's head. He merely moved his head, and she hit Sasuke instead. The boy was taken off guard, and was knocked down.

"Sasuke!" Iruka yelled, aiding the boy. The Uchiha glared at Naruto, who pointed at Sakura, who pointed at Ino. "Sakura, see me after class. Naruto, don't make a scene on your first day of school. Now take a seat. The class is about to start."

"Yes sir," they said. Sakura and Ino took seats near Sasuke, and Iruka started his lesson on the geography of the Elemental Country.

At Lunch, Naruto decided to be friendly, and tried to get to know his classmates. He met Nara Shikamaru, the lazy boy with a pineapple haircut like Iruka, Akimichi Choji, the CHUBBY boy who always had a bag of chips, and Abarume Shino the mysterious boy who constantly made buzzing noises. The 4, along with Kiba, sat next to each other.

"Oh man," Kiba laughed. "What you did in class, was the highlight of my day. Making the loyal fangirl hit the Uchiha? That's awesome!" He offered his fist, to which the boy replied with his own. The two bumped fists, signalling their already budding friendship.

"Yes," Shino deadpanned. "That was really amusing to watch."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru mumbled, but still smiling. Choji handed Naruto a bag of chips.

"Here's a welcoming gift," he said. "It's ramen-flavored." Naruto took the bag withand odd smile.

"Ramen?" he questioned. "I still don't know what that is. Although Momo says my name is a ramen topping."

"Momo?" Kiba asked. "Your fox?" Naruto nodded.

"Yeah. She has an interesting ability to speak. Go on, Momo." He took out Momo from his hood, and set him down next to Akamaru. The dog barked happily.

"Hello," she greeted, bowing her head. The guys looked surprised, while nearby girls just found Momo cute.

"It's so cute!" they squealed. They started to crowd around her, and pet her.

"H-huh? Wha? P-please stop th- Oh yeah, right there." Naruto snickered, seeing Momo being petted.

"An interesting ability indeed," Shino stated in his usual monotone voice. "So Naruto. Can you tell us where you came from?" Naruto looked at the Abarume, and thought about it.

"I've been in Konoha my whole life. I've just been... preoccupied. It's kind of a long story. But enough of that, so all of you are heirs to your clans?" They nodded. "That's awesome. I'm friends with heirs...Speaking of clans, That girl Hinata. She's from the Hyuuga clan, isn't she?" Kiba tilted his head.

"Oh her? Yeah, she's from the Hyuuga clan. The clan famous for their Dojutsu, the Byakugan. I don't know the real details, but it's pretty cool." Shikamaru sat up from his wooden bed.

"The Byakugan gives the user a near 360º field of vision," He explained. "It's being able to see through solid objects, along with a degree of telescopic sight. The greatest uses of the Byakugan is the ability to see chakra, chakra flow as well as the chakra circulation system inside the body with great detail." Naruto looked at him with surprise.

"You're pretty well informed," he complimented. Shikamaru slouched again, and rested his head on his hand.

"It's troublesome."

"Why do you ask?" Choji questioned.

"I was just wondering. Like your clan. I heard that they're full of fat people." Everyone froze. At that moment, the temperature dropped a few degrees. Kiba, Shikamaru, and even Shino looked nervous as Choji fumed. Naruto didn't seem to notice. Choji was about to yell, when Naruto said. "But that's what makes them awesome!" Choji stopped, looking utterly surprised. "I mean. Using their body as a shield, and a weapon? That's awesome! I mean they do say A good defense is a good offence, but you guys have it both ways." The chubby boy settled down, with a sheepish smile. He scratched his head awkwardly. "And Shikamaru. Your clan's ability to use shadows, is cool! From what I hear, you can control people." Suddenly, Naruto slapped Kiba, much to the boy's surprise.

"What was that for?" he yelled.

"I don't know." He heard a small chuckle, and he saw Shikamaru with his hand in a Ne(Rat) sign. Naruto looked down, to find another shadow extending into his own. "Haha. Okay, Shikamaru. Let me go." His hand moved again, and found a target. But it wasn't Kiba. Naruto's eyes widened, as he found who he hit. It was, to his fortune or misfortune, depending on how someone viewed it, had found their way onto a strolling Hinata's chest. She suddenly stopped, as her eyes widened to the point where any more would make her eyes fall out. She had a bright blush, that spread around her whole body.

"P-per-Pervert." she mumbled, before unconscionably hitting Naruto with a Jyuken(Gentle Fist) strike to the arm. Naruto suddenly lost feeling in his arm for a few seconds. Realizing what she did, she bowed. "Go-gom-Gomen, Naruto-kun!" Naruto laughed.

"It's okay, Hinata." He rolled his arm around. He started to get his feeling back. "But man, that stung. You're pretty strong." Hinata pressed her fingers together, and quickly ran away. Naruto glared at the lazy boy. "Shikamaru!" The shadow user smirked, and went back to sleep. The others laughed, except for Shino, who made a buzzing noise. All in all, it was a good day.

At the end of the school day, the newly acquainted friends stood at the school entrance.

"See you tomorrow," Naruto said, with the heirs repeating. The 5 friends went separate ways. On the way back to the forest, Naruto couldn't help but grin. Momo noticed this, and smiled.

"So how was your first day of school?" Momo asked, back to her human form.

"It was nice," he replied. The two walked back to the forest.

* * *

><p>Chapter 2 done.<p>

I added that bullying scene, because Narjiro said that Naruto wasn't there that day, to help her back then.

I am trying to make Naruto not super strong.

Also, if people want to make a request for the harem, feel free. But not all of them will make it. I'm trying for only 8 girls.

Review/Flame


	3. Dango and Ramen

Chapter 3 up. I hope you like it.

I suck at short fights. Also, I've added Anko to the harem. Go to my poll in my profile, to chose the other 5. I bumped it up to 10 girls. Pretty much everyone is ooc, people, but that's what makes it fan fiction.

Disclaimer:I do not own Naruto.

* * *

><p>That evening, Naruto was in his little hut, heating some food that he "borrowed" from some stores. Had people seen him, there would have been a riot with fire and pitchforks, and no doubt, Naruto was going to lose some body parts...Of course that would only have happened if someone caught him. Luckily, people were too busy looking at a naked blonde with blue eyes, and whisker marks. Heck, even some women were watching a little too much. Momo was annoyed, having to witness all she had ever taught the blonde, be wasted on a Jutsu like that.<p>

"I still can't believe you made that Jutsu," Momo fumed, taking a bite out of her food. She made loud noises as she ate to exaggerate her agitation. "What good will turning into a naked girl, do?" Naruto chuckled, and held up three fingers. He flashed his famous grin at the girl.

"Three words," he said. "Best distraction ever." The boy chuckled, before his eyes widened. His grin disappeared, and he stopped altogether. Momo was confused, while Naruto began to look around, and sniff the air. "Do you feel that?" he asked. Momo tilted her head to listen, but all she heard was the fire crackling, and the leaves of the trees rustling. She shrugged her shoulders. " No, no, no. Just listen. You can just feel it." He looked around again, before he snapped his fingers. "That's it! I feel someone else in my forest." Naruto jumped out of the hut. Momo looked at where he had been with a blank look.

"Your forest?" Momo scoffed, following the blonde boy. She almost forgot to stomp out the fire. After doing so, Momo jumped out of the hut, trying to catch up to the blonde. She was still confused as to how Naruto could possibly know that someone else had been in the forest. Naruto jumped from tree to tree, following the presence. He sighed, and shook his head.

_'I've been in this forest too much,' _he thought. '_I can see everything in this place.'_ Naruto soon arrived at the entrance of the Forest of Death. He found a woman training. She seemed to be overexerting her body, as he saw her sweat fly out her body. He could tell that she was breathing really hard, as she jumped around to catch her own kunai after she threw it. The woman seemed older than him, with a tall height, and a well developed body. Naruto slightly blushed at that thought, causing him to smack himself. He looked back. "Who's that?" Naruto asked to himself, as he watched the woman throw kunai at amazing speeds. He was even more amazed when she extended her hand, and a multitude of snakes began to emerge from her sleeves, coiling her hand and around each other. Suddenly, the woman stopped, and produced a multitude kunai from her pouch. Each one between her fingers. He could hear the hissing of the snakes.

"I can see you," the woman called out, amusing Naruto. "Come out... or else." Unfazed, Naruto jumped out, and walked up to the woman. She wasn't expecting a kid to be there. The blonde got a good look at her. Her violet hair was done up in a short, somewhat spiky ponytail. She wore a tan overcoat, complete with a fitted mesh body suit that stretched from her neck down to her thighs. The woman had a dark orange mini-skirt, and around her neck, was a small pendant that looks like a snake fang. From what he saw, the woman's eyes were light brown, and pupil-less. The woman narrowed her eyes, looking rather pissed. "Quit ogling, kid. Who are you? Don't you know that it's dangerous in this forest? Especially at night, might I add." Naruto almost laughed, pissing off the woman even more. She resisted the urge to strangle the kid.

"Uzumaki Naruto," he introduced with a small bow. She looked at the boy's manner's with indifference. "I don't think I have to worry about this forest's inhabitants." Anko's eyebrows rose quickly, as she immediately remembered the boy from 6 years ago. It was not easy to forget him, since after all, he reminded her of herself. "Although, nee-san, I'm afraid I have to repeat your words." Anko gave him a sadistic smile, that reminded him of Momo.

"I'm a Tokubetsu Jonin, gaki." She rubbed her chin in amusement, as she scanned the boy up and down. Naruto raised an eyebrow, seeing the woman ogling him when she had told him not to do the same. "So you're the kid carrying the you-know-who. Got to say, I haven't seen you in 6 years." Naruto's eye twitched at being called "gaki." He looked around, motioning towards the forest.

"I've been...around. Closer than you think. But I don't think I've seen you before. Who could you possibly be, if you know who I am?"

"Let's just say that I was watching from the shadows. But that's nothing to brag about. Although it's not everyday, that you have a sexy lady like me, following you." She ended with a wide smile, that looked much like his own. "But enough of that. Tell me why a young kid like you, is in the Forest of Death at this hour."

"Isn't it obvious? I live here." Anko's eyes widened. She looked at him, simply blinking, but not knowing what to say. "That hard to believe?" Anko suddenly grinned, as she began to ruffle Naruto's hair.

"Well you must have some big ones. How the hell did you survive all these years in here? This place is home to the most dangerous of animals ever scene." Naruto smirked, and he wagged his finger.

"Sorry, but that's a secret. A surprise, even. It wouldn't be a surprise anymore, if I told you. All I'll say, is that one look made the wild animals disappear."

"Naruto!" Momo yelled, as she landed in next to the blonde. She proceeded to smack him on the head, and scold him as if she was his mother. "Don't just leave the hut like that! You would've burned the whole forest, if I wasn't here!" Naruto glared at the kitsune, while rubbing his head. Anko watched the scene with an amused, and confused face. At the same time, she was suspicious.

"And who is this?" she asked. "I don't think I've ever seen her in the village before." Naruto saw her suspicion, and shook his head,

"I assure you," Naruto said. "She is not a spy, or an enemy." Anko put on a thinking pose. A pose not many people saw, but the author of this story wouldn't say that to her.

"If that is so, then who is she?" Naruto looked at Momo, who made a "go ahead" sign. Naruto looked at the woman with a serious face.

"You can keep a secret, right?" Anko nodded, a little confused. "Are you sure?" Anko nodded again. "Don't repeat what I'll say, okay?" At this point, Anko was really curious. "She is...Momo. Bye!" He finished with a grin, as he watched a vein show up on her forehead. Naruto and Momo quickly jumped back in the forest, laughing hysterically. Anko was absolutely fuming, because two kids just got away with fooling her. She clenched her fists, and grit her teeth.

"Damn gaki," she growled. "I'll teach you to mess with Mitarashi Anko!" She looked around, only to see pitch black. "You will rue the day you decided to mess with me!" Knowing that the boy was probably gone, Anko sighed. "...I'll find you some other day!" Truth be told, Naruto was only a few trees away. His grin never went away, as he heard the woman yell at him.

"Anko, huh?"

(Next Day)

Naruto arrived at school early, not really planning to, but he didn't really have much to do. He found Sasuke in his brooding pose almost as if he was glued to the seat. He caught Hinata's eyes, but she quickly turned her head away from him. He turned his head to who he was really looking for. With his head planted on the tables, Shikamaru was sleeping soundly without a care in the world. Naruto sneaked towards Shikamaru, and soon found himself over the pinapple haired boy. He had a dangerous glint in his eye. With a large intake of air, he began his payback.

"WAKE UP!" he yelled. The pineapple haired boy shot up, and looked around. He saw Naruto staring down at him. His face resembled one of a madman. "You know, I never got revenge from yesterday." In the back, Hinata reddened at the memory. Shikamaru's eyes widened and his hands went into a rat seal.

"Kagem-" Before he could finish the jutsu, Naruto acted.

"Kōsoku no Jutsu(Restraint)!" he called. Shikamaru suddenly found his arms and legs stuck together. "Let's see...How about you feel what it's like to be forced on someone else. How does that sound, Shikamaru-san?." Naruto picked up the boy, and looked out the window. He found a woman wearing a dark pink kimono. She had black hair in a ponytail, with 3 strands spilling onto her forehead, and framing her face. "That person. She'll do nicely." After seeing the person, Shikamaru's eyes widened. He began to shake, and sweat noticeably.

"Oh shit," he muttered. "That's my mom. Please have mercy on me." Naruto's grin grew sadistically.

"Why?"

"Let's just say, that Nara Yoshino, is not a person you'd like to see angry." Naruto ignored him, and chucked the boy at his mom. He watched, as the woman yelled, and slapped her son around. Everyone who saw, including Sasuke, winced. Naruto was relishing in Shikamaru's screams, patting himself on the back.

Soon, Shikamaru came back, looking like he went through hell and back.

"Damn you," he said to the grinning blonde. Class soon started, when Iruka entered the room with a new person. It was a white haired chunin wearing a Konoha vest, and a bandana-like head protector.

"Everyone," Iruka announced. "This is the assistant teacher, Mizuki. He's also my friend." Mizuki bowed, and looked around. When his eyes fell on Naruto, his kind smile almost broke. He had a grudge against the Kyuubi, and thought Naruto was the beast itself. Well actually, HERself, but no one really knew that. Naruto saw Mizuki staring at him, and tilted his head. Mizuki broke his contact, and looked to the whole class.

"Nice to meet you all," Mizuki said, with a fake smile. "I hope we can get along."

(Later)

The whole class walked outside, to the fields.

"We're going to spar with each other," Iruka exclaimed to the students. "Let's start with... Sasuke. Pick your partner." The raven haired boy looked around, before laying his hands on Naruto. He pointed at him.

"You," he muttered, catching the boy's attention. "New kid. Fight me." Naruto shrugged, and stepped forward.

"Why not?" Naruto said, punching his hand. "It would be a great opportunity to fight the last Uchiha." The two stood in their spots, and went in a stance.

"No Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, death blows, major injuries or Kekkei Genkai if you have one," Iruka listed. "Hajime(Begin)!" Sasuke was the first to act, by charging at the blonde. Naruto grinned, and also ran. Right before they clashed, Naruto slid down, going through the boy's legs, and going behind him. He stopped himself with his hands, and swung his legs. Sasuke brought his arms to his side, stopping his legs, and grabbed a hold of them. With a grunt of effort, he swung the boy in front of him. Naruto spun in the air, and landed on his feet. The Uchiha launched his fist at him. Naruto steeped to the side, and grabbed the boy's wrist. He pulled, making the boy stagger, and soon impacted his elbow on Sasuke's stomach. The Uchiha's breath escaped his lungs, as pain went through him.

"Come on, Uchiha," Naruto taunted, aiming his fist towards Sasuke. "Show me why they call you the Rookie of the Year." Sasuke gritted his teeth, and caught Naruto's punch. He flipped the blonde, and slammed him on the ground. The impact made a small dust cloud.

Sasuke grinned, and replied with, "Too easy."

"Not quite. Look down here." Sasuke looked down, and found Naruto in a small handstand, with his legs folded. He pushed up, and kangaroo kicked the raven haired boy. Sasuke flew, and impacted the ground, groaning as he laid on the ground, defeated. (What? It was just a spar. If it was a fight, then I would've put in much more) The fan club roared in disapproval, calling Naruto a cheater. "Of for the love of- Chinmoku no Jutsu(Silence)!" He aimed a finger towards the group of girls. In an instant, all the booing suddenly stopped. Everyone sighed in relief. "Finally." Naruto walked towards the last Uchiha. "Oi. You weren't half bad. We should spar some more, later." He held out a hand. Sasuke looked at it for a while, before grinning, and taking the hand. Naruto pulled him up.

"Why not?" Kiba and the others, who saw Sasuke and Naruto officially start a rivalry, looked at Naruto in a new light. Hinata was staring at Naruto with a slight blush adorning her face.

(Later)

Naruto, Shikamaru, Kiba, Choji, and even Sasuke were sitting next to each other. Although Shikamaru was reluctant in sitting next to Naruto.

"Why am I sitting with all of you?" Sasuke asked. Naruto grabbed his wrist, and raised it with his own. He had a grin on his face as usual.

"Because you are with us now. Whether you like it or not, we're friends!" The others nodded in agreement. "So Sasuke, why don't you tell us more about yourself." Sasuke looked around at the faces, before his face took on a look of uncertainty.

"Well... There's not much to really say. You guys already know about the Uchiha Massacre, right?" The clan heirs nodded their heads grimly, while the blonde tilted his head in confusion. He had not heard of any sort of massacre.

"The what?" Everyone looked at him with surprise.

"You've never heard of it?" Shikamaru questioned. Naruto shook his head.

"The Uchiha Massacre took place years ago, when my...brother Itachi slew the whole clan, except for me. I will never forgive him for doing that..." Sasuke went into a brooding pose. Naruto wave his hand in front of him.

"Oi, Uchiha. You're going emo on us again." The raven haired boy shook his head, and looked around.

"Oh sorry. Anyways, I'm always in my room. Not much else, other than train. Naruto, if you don't mind, can you teach me that silence Jutsu? Those fan girls really annoy me." He scratched his head in embarrassment. It wasn't everyday that he talked to his classmates this much. Naruto nodded, and began teaching him the basics of the technique. At that moment, he heard a familiar voice. A voice that made him freeze in his tracks.

"GAKI!" The voice yelled. Naruto's eye's widened, when he saw who the person was. Purple hair, light brown eyes, revealing clothes. It was none other than Mitarashi Anko. He stood up, and prepared to scram.

"Shit! I'll see you guys later! Sasuke, show me what you've learned some other time." Before Sasuke could respond, the blonde was already out of sight. Anko appeared next to the others.

"Any of you see a blonde yea high, whisker marks, all black?" everyone shook their heads. She looked at them with a piercing glare. "I suggest no one lie to me. I work with Ibiki Morino, the leader of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force." After that, everyone pointed to where Naruto had run off. They thought they heard Naruto yell "traitors!" Anko grinned, and used shunshin to Naruto's location. He was already jumping from rooftop to rooftop, desperately running away from the Tokubetsu Jounin "Come back here, gaki! Accept your judgement!" She began following the blonde.

"You're in big trouble," Momo sang, appearing from Naruto's hood, in fox form.

"Where the hell have you been?" yelled Naruto.

"I've just used the seal to come here. I've been hunting."

"Well that doesn't matter now! I have to run!"

"Sen'eijashu(Hidden Shadow Snake Hands)!" Several snakes wrapped themselves around Naruto's abdomen. He was pulled back, into Anko's hold. She had a kunai at his neck. "Hello, gaki." Anko had her head next to his ear. Despite the situation, Naruto still had the nerve to blush. "I never got revenge from yesterday,"

'Deja vu,' Naruto thought. "W-w-What do you want?" he asked.

"Oh, I have an idea." Naruto soon found himself, at Ichiraku Ramen. "They also sell dango here. You're going to buy me all the dango I want."

"Why dango?"

"Because I love it! I'm sure you have money. **Isn't that right?**" Anko asked the last part, in a deathly tone. Naruto, who was sweating, checked his toad wallet, that he named "Gama-chan." The wallet was something he had been given on his 3rd birthday. It was fat with money he..."found." "What is up with that wallet?" Anko asked. Naruto hid the object embarrassingly.

"It was a present from someone, alright? Anyways, I have enough." Entering the ramen bar, Naruto was greeted by an old man, and a girl who appeared to be his daughter.

"Welcome," the old man greeted. "Ah, Mitarashi-san! I assume you want more dango?" Anko grinned.

"Yeah, And keep it coming, old man!" The man pouted playfully.

"I'm not that old. Ayame-chan! Prepare a lot of dango, for Mitarashi-san!" The man noticed Naruto. "And who's this?" Naruto grinned.

"The name's Uzumaki Naruto, ossan(Old man). The snake lady tricked me here." He was promptly hit on the head by Anko.

"Ahaha. You're not the only one. I'm Teuchi Ichiraku, and the girl in the kitchen is my daughter, Ayame." The girl came out, and Naruto got a good look at her. Long brown hair in a ponytail, with two portions framing her face. Ayame wore the same uniform as her father.

"I'm Ayame," She greeted cheerfully. "Now, can I take your order?"

"I'll take a bunch of dango," Anko ordered. "And keep it coming." Naruto looked at the menu.

"You know," he said. "I have never had ramen before." The two chefs looked surprised. "So... I'll have one miso ramen.

"Never had ramen?" Teuchi repeated. "Ayame, make sure you make a bowl Naruto-kun here, will never forget." Ayame nodded, and started the food. Momo, in her human form, entered the restaurant.

"Hey," she greeted. Anko looked at the bijuu.

"You're the girl from before," she noted. "Uh... Momo, right?" The girl nodded. "Well I hope you don't mind, I got your boyfriend to buy me dango." If you looked really carefully, you would've seen a small blush.

"He's not my boyfriend," she muttered.

"No? Then I guess you wouldn't mind me taking him off your hands." Naruto proceeded to spit the water he was drinking.

"Don't even think about it. Besides, he's stupid."

"Yes he's stupid, but look at him. He looks better than most of Konoha's population."

"Hey!" Naruto yelled, "I'm sitting right here!" Ayame set down the food. Anko wasted no time in scarfing down her food. Naruto was examining his food. He took some noodles out, and tasted it. What happened next, spelled the fate of the restaurant. Naruto finished his food, in less than 2 minutes.

"This is freaking awesome!" The chefs had proud smiles.

Minutes later, Momo watched as Naruto scarfed down another bowl, with Naruto topping.

"Cannibal," she mumbled. Naruto looked up.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Nothing. How many more are you going to eat?" Naruto set down his bowl.

"I think that's the last one. How about you, Mitarashi-san?" The purple haired woman belched, and patted her stomach.

"Yeah," she replied. "Man, today was great." Naruto paid, the money, and the three left the restaurant.. The Ichirakus put up a sign that said. "Closed for renovations, and supplies. "We should do this again," Anko suggested. Naruto hesitated, but nodded. Inside his pocket, a smaller Gama-chan was crying. "Well, see you later, gaki, gaki's girlfriend." She shunshined, before the two could retort. Naruto turned to Momo to say something, but she held her hand up.

"Don't say anything," Momo said. "Let's go." The two turned around, and headed for their home.

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><p>Chapter 3 done.<p>

Remember to go to the pole.

Random Fact: This story was not what I had originally planned. My first idea, was that Naruto would be partially emotionless, and cold, and that every time a jinchuuriki would use their bijuu's power, they would lose some thing. For example, Naruto loses more of his emotion, and Gaara loses more of his sanity. Plot twist, the only thing to reverse the effects, would be to help those who he cares for. Kinda hard, if he's emotionless.

Yeah... use that plot if you want.

Review/Flame


	4. Hyuuga Compound

Chapter 4 up.

I feel like this chapter is a bit rushed. Oh well. Go to the poll if you want. I'll keep that up for awhile.

Disclaimer:I do not own Naruto.

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><p>It was a rather cold night, and the moon created a veil of silver across the land. But, the night was not at all quiet, as a riot began to emerge. A group of civilians and ninjas were grouped up with torches and pitchforks, as they began to close into their prey. "Hey," a voice said, as Naruto was slowly walking back to his hut. A stroll in the village every now and then wasn't such a bad thing. Unless of course people were trying to kill you. Naruto turned his indifferent eye towards a mob of civilians, as his hands rested into the pockets of his coat. He was the definition of the word "deadpan," as he faced everyone like they were nothing more than common houseflies waiting to be swatted. They held several weapons, pipes, etc high into the air, either ready to throw them, of just creating a show. "You...You're the demon, aren't you? Everyone, look! It's come back after resting. Now it's going to destroy all of us." Naruto blinked, and sighed, hearing what the man said. He had hoped that no one recognized him, but unfortunately, they did. And it seemed that they have grown more idiotic over the years. The blonde held back a smirk, as he decided to play with them.<p>

"Can I help any of you?" He asked, trying to be nice. That seemed to make the civilians more angry. After all, no one like to be treated like an idiot, even if they were one.

"You can die, so we can live in peace!" one woman yelled, getting a cheer in response. "Everyone, kill the demon! Let's rid the world of it's filth!" The mob charged the blonde. With a blank face, Naruto ducked a pipe, and jumped away from several shuriken. He began to disarm the weapons, throwing them aside from the civilian's reach. He jumped over one person, and took everyone's weapons.

"He's going to try and kill us with our own weapons," A man said. "Able Shinobi, attack!" Several people jumped in the air, and went through hand seals. The blonde sucked on his teeth, throwing away the weapons. He glared at the shinobi as he prepared for their following attack.

"Katon: Hosenka(Phoenix Sage Fire Technique)/ Suiton: Teppodama(Gunshot)/Doton: Toge Chikei(Spine Terrain) no jutsu!" They yelled, releasing their attacks. From what he could see, the Hosenka would mostly hit him if he were to jump, the Teppodama would hit his front if he were to stay, and the Toge Chikei would hit, if he were to duck. So, Naruto did the most logical thing. He ran like hell.

"Crap, crap, crap, CRAP!" he chanted, escaping the attacks. He threw a smoke ball to distract everyone. "Gotta restrain the non-ninja!"

"He's getting away! Get him!" Naruto was going through seals. "He's going to try and kill us!"

"Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu(Inner Decapitation)!" he yelled. Naruto disappeared into the ground, confusing the civilians. One ninja who knew the jutsu, stuck to the wall. One by one, Naruto began pulling the civilians to the ground, leaving only the head present. _'This should buy me time with the civilians,'_ he thought. _'Then I'll have to deal with the ninja.'_ After pulling the last person, Naruto rose to meet the remaining ninja.

"Die already," the ninja said. " Katon: Boya Kasui(Small Fire Stream)." The ninja released a jet of fire from his mouth, directly at Naruto. The jinchuuriki grinned.

"Suiton: Teppodama!" Naruto spat several shots of pressurized water at the flames. He stopped, right when the flame receded, so he didn't hurt the shinobi. "Kōsoku no Jutsu(Restraint)!" The man's limbs met each other, and he was fully restrained. "See you later!" Naruto yelled, running back to his hut. Sarutobi, who was watching Naruto with his crystal ball, was smiling, as he saw Naruto not harming anyone. He made sure that the ANBU arrested the people who tried to hurt Naruto. As he sat back he took out his pipe, and lit it. He blew a smoke ring, and looked at the village through the window.

"You've come along way, Naruto-kun. You are truly your father's son." He shut the vision off.

"I'm home!" Naruto called, jumping into the hut, to see Momo just waking up. She yawned, and rubbed her eyes. It was a rather cute sight.

"Why are you so late?" she asked. It was then that Momo noticed the state of his clothes. She bit her lip. "I'm guessing that the people recognized you?" Naruto sighed and nodded. "Well, I guess you'll need to be careful, when going on your night walks."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto droned. "Just move over, so I can sleep." The bijuu scooted over, and Naruto sat down. He was immediately blessed with sleep. No matter what hardship he faced, sleeping was always something he looked forward to. Unless of course he had a nightmare.

(The next day)

Naruto was jumping on roofs, after deciding to visit the Hokage. He had decided to actually use the door, lest the old man got a heart attack. He was pretty old after all. Naruto found Sarutobi reading an orange book. The sound of perverted giggling signaled that it was one of those porno books that he had heard of. Because he was sure as hell the man was not reading anything about the village's info. After clearing his throat, the old man looked up to see Naruto. The sweat was visible on his face, as he couldn't form a coherent sentence. He looked at the book and hid it behind his back.

"N-Naruto-kun!" said Sarutobi, surprised. "When did you get here?" Naruto crossed his arms, fighting the grin that was emerging on his face.

"I just entered through the door," he replied. "So, shat were you reading there, Hokage-jiji?" Sarutobi waved his hands trying to avoid the topic.

"Nothing you need to know. Was there something you needed?" Naruto sighed, and rubbed his arms.

"Just wanted to say that is was all in self defense, if people start saying that I beat up a bunch of civilians." Sarutobi nodded.

"Ah...Is that all?" Naruto nodded. "Well, you better get going. You still have school." The blonde walked away, with a suspicious look. Once he was gone, Sarutobi took out his book, making perverted giggles.

As Naruto was going to school, he saw Hinata walking with someone he guessed was her dad. He had long dark brown hair and featureless white eyes like Hinata. He wore very traditional, loose fitting robes with a cloak. Something about him just made you want to act your most polite, lest you be scolded. The two were walking rather slowly, probably because of Hinata. From what he was of her, she seemed to like walking slowly. Catching up to Hinata, she decided to talk to her.

"Hinata?" Naruto said, catching the girl's attention. Seeing Naruto, Hinata looked surprised, and looked down. The man noticed this, and looked at the boy. His eyes widened, seeing Naruto's face.

_'__N-Naruto!"_ the man thought, recognizing the boy's face. Although it was a bit different than before, seeing his other eye being concealed. _'He's alive! Thank goodness... He looks a lot like Minato.'_ "Oh, you seem to know my daughter. May I ask for your name?" Naruto looked at the man, and was a bit unnerved by his glare. He was probably like that all the time.

"Uzumaki Naruto," he replied, confirming the man's thought.

_'So he uses Kushina's surname.'_ Naruto was surprised when the man bowed. "I see. So you are the one who protected my daughter. I thank you for that." Naruto scratched his head, and returned the gesture. "I am Hiashi Hyuuga, Hinata's father, and the clan head of the Hyuuga clan" Hinata was surprised, since her dad would usually turn away from people. Especially civilians(Naruto's not an official ninja yet). And here, Hiashi was conversing with Naruto. _'I'm going to have to make sure Naruto is safe from now on,'_ Hiashi thought. He looked at Hinata, who was lightly blushing, and pressing her fingers together. It seemed that the girl was quite shy around the blonde, more so that others. This made Hiashi smile, but only barely. He had a title to uphold of going the longest without smiling.

"Well, I'm going to the class now," Naruto said. "See you later, Hinata, Hiashi-sama."

"Just Hiashi, Naruto-kun." Naruto nodded, and ran towards the academy. Hiashi looked at his daughter. "Do you want to go to him?" Hinata slowly nodded. "He's a good person. Go on, Hinata." His daughter looked up at him, a bit surprised. Then, she smiled, and ran to catch up with the blonde.

"W-wai-wait!" Hinata yelled, catching the boy's attention. He turned to see Hinata running towards him. Soon, the purple haired girl was next to Naruto. Hiashi waved both of them goodbye, before going back to the compound.

"Hey, Hinata. Your dad had to go?" Hinata nodded. "Well, let's get to the class, before the bell rings." The two picked up their pace, and soon arrived at Iruka's class. They found the Chunin grading papers. "Mornin', Iruka-sensei." The pineapple haired man looked up.

"Ah!" Iruka said. "Why are you here so early?" Naruto shrugged. "Well as long as you're here, can you and Hinata help me?"

"Hai(yes)/H-hai," the two said in unison. Iruka handed them each a stack of paper.

"I want the two of you to place one of each paper onto a desk, alright?" Naruto and Hinata nodded, and began doing their job. Whenever Hinata passed Naruto, she would take a quick look at the blonde. It was a good thing that she had no pupils, or she would have been caught. Soon, they were done, and the two were given some juice. "Thanks for your help, kids. Go and relax."

"Anytime," Naruto replied. He turned to Hinata, giving her his foxy smile. The purple haired girl blushed, and smiled back. The two went to their desks, drinking their juice. "Come out, Momo." The fox jumped out of Naruto's hood, and onto his desk. Naruto let the bijuu drink his juice. It still surprised him that she was the same bijuu who almost destroyed Konoha. Even though it wasn't her fault. Half an hour later, the students poured into the room, followed by Mizuki. The Chunin gave a quick glare at the jinchuuriki.

"Naruto," Sasuke called, sitting next to the blonde. "I got the silencing Jutsu done. Want to see it?" Naruto raised his eyebrow, and shrugged. He looked at the clock.

"Sure. The girls should be here... now." Sasuke made several hand signs.

"Chinmoku(Silence) no jutsu." To almost everyone's surprise, the door made no sound, as it slammed open. The screams of the friends/enemies, were also gone, to the classes relief. It didn't seem like they noticed though. Iruka cleared his throat.

"If you are done," he said. "We are going to have a little Jutsu demonstration. So, if you know one, and are confident enough to show it, then please step up." Choji, Ino, Shikamaru, Sasuke, Hinata, Kiba, and Naruto were the ones to stand up, with Ino, who was out of the silence jutsu, going first. She made a circle with her hands, and aimed at Sakura.

"Shintenshin(Mind Body Switch) no jutsu!" she yelled, before suddenly falling to the ground. Sakura's body stiffened and stood up. She stood up, and began to make weird faces, along with strange noises. The other's couldn't understand why she was doing that until Iruka had explained the Jutsu Ino had used.

"I'm Billboard Brow," Sakura said, prancing around embarrassingly, and jumping on the tables like monkey. "I'm a complete know-it-all, who has no talent. And I'm ugly compared to the goddess that is Yamanaka Ino. Sasuke-kun should go out with her rather than me!" Ino soon returned to her body, and rolled on the ground, laughing. Naruto couldn't help but snicker also. Choji was next to come up.

"Baika(Multi-Size) no jutsu!" he called. In an instant, Choji's abdomen expanded to the point that his arms stuck out. "This is my clan's Jutsu. They utilize the human body in every way to crush enemies."

"So that's it?" a random student asked. Choji rolled around, almost burning the wood floor, and completely destroyed a nearby desk that no one used. "So that's all? You just use your fat to destroy things." That was a mistake that the boy did not know about. In the end, it took almost everyone to hold the angry Akimichi from demolishing the boy. Reluctantly, Choji finally released his jutsu, and the next person stepped up. That person was Kiba, who put Akamaru next to Momo.

"Everyone step back, " Kiba warned. "I'll show you MY clan's Jutsu. Tsuga(Passing Fang)!" Kiba spun in the air, turning into a grey drill. He began moving, making sure not to hit anyone. Unfortunately, The young heir was a tad inexperienced, and accidentally made a hole in the wall. He tried to get himself out, but his arms were also stuck, Naruto was able to pull him out, but it hurt like hell. Shikamaru was next, making a rat seal. At the last moment, the heir looked at the blonde with the intent to finish what they had started.

"Kagemane(Shadow Imitation Technique) no jutsu." A tendril of shadows, made it's way to Naruto, before he could get away. The blonde began to spout curses like a certain redhead. "Payback, you blonde bastard!" He jumped to the floor, making Naruto do the same thing. And it just so happened that he landed on Hinata, and the pineapple made sure that his hands on... certain places. Despite his look, he was quite the pervert. The poor girl was read from head to toe, and steam seemed to blast out of her ears.

"Damn it, Shikamaru!" Naruto yelled. His face was a bit too close to the blue haired girl. "Sorry about this, Hinata." Hinata was lost in her mind and fantasy, and didn't hear Naruto. She put her palm on his chest, to Naruto's confusion. But, he could feel Chakra gathering around her hand.

"Ha-Hakk-Hakke," She mumbled, making Naruto's eyes widen. He started to sweat profusely. Shikamaru's hold was still in effect.

"Let me go!" Naruto exclaimed. The young Nara tilted his head. "Quickly!"

"K-Ku-Kusho." Naruto was suddenly blasted to the ceiling, before falling back down. Shikamaru was also catapulted due to their connection.

"Ow..." Naruto moaned. "Ow...She's... really strong." Iruka appeared next to him.

"You okay?" He asked, helping the boy up. Naruto nodded, and rolled his arm around. He moved his neck from side to side, and everyone heard the cracks as he did so.

"Yeah. You okay Shikamaru?" The Nara stood up, and dusted himself.

"I'm okay," he replied. Naruto gave him a semi-crazy grin, secretly doing hand seals.

"Good! Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu!" Naruto disappeared into the ground, and pulled Shikamaru's legs. All that was left of the poor Nara was his head. Everyone was laughing, as Shikamaru struggled in his trap. Naruto mockingly poked at his head. Sasuke was the last to walk up, and he wore a smirk as he went though seals. He inhaled.

"Behold the Uchiha's power. Katon: Goukakyuu(Great Fireball) no jutsu." He shouted. From his mouth, a stream of fire was produced. But the stream soon ended, and the fire gathered to become a ball. It wasn't that big, because he didn't want to damage anything. But the Uchiha had miscalculated his aim in his slight arrogance, and the fireball was aimed for Naruto. The blonde jumped up in surprise.

"Oi, Uchiha, watch where you aim! Suiton: Teppodama!" Naruto made a sphere the same size of the Goukakyuu, easily dousing it. Iruka and Mizuki looked surprised, with the latter more angry.

_'Doton and Suiton?'_ Iruka mused. _'That's pretty surprising.'_ He cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Alright, if that's all, back to your seats. And somebody pick up Hinata." Naruto carried the Hyuuga, bridal style. "Good. Yeesh, that was more hectic than I thought it would be, so let's go to something different."

(After School)

Naruto was carrying the still sleeping Hyuuga to her house. She was clutching at his shirt, like it was her pillow. The blonde was uncomfortable with the closeness, but endured it as he took her to her house.

"She sure is a deep sleeper," Naruto mumbled, looking at Hinata. He ended up at a large compound, guarded by a large fence, and a gate. Two Hyuugas from the Branch House were guarding the gates. "Excuse me."

"What do you want?" one of the guards demanded. Naruto lightly shook Hinata in answer. The guards went into attack mode. "What have you done with Hiashi-sama's daughter? We can have you executed for this!" Naruto shook his head, and began to protest.

"What's going on here?" Another voice demanded. It was Hiashi, with his arms crossed. The two Branch Hyuugas tensed. "Well?" In truth, he had already seen Naruto from his office, but couldn't show any favoritism toward him in front of the Branch.

"Hiashi-sama! This boy has defiled your daughter. We were about to kill him." Hiashi walked towards the blonde, and took Hinata who put up a bit of a fight before letting go of Naruto.

"She is fine. Hinata was just sleeping." He turned to Naruto. "Come, Naruto." The jinchuuriki cautiously followed the Clan leader, while glaring at the guards. He was seated in a fancy looking room, making him nervous. Hiashi entered the room after laying his daughter in her room. He bowed. "You help my daughter yet again. I thank you."

"It's okay. I was just being a good friend."

"If you don't mind, would you like to stay for dinner?" Naruto looked surprised. "I would really enjoy treating the boy who has helped my family."

"Well... if you insist. But I need to take care of my pet." Hiashi raised an eyebrow.

"I can have some people take care of your pet for you, if you like. Where is he or she." Naruto took Momo from his hood. Hiashi slightly tensed, seeing the fox.

"Her name is Momo. I know you might feel uneasy with her her. But please don't let your hatred of the Kyuubi affect her." Hiashi was surprised to say the least that Naruto knew about the Nine Tails. Naruto began pleading to not harm Momo.

"I see." He summoned a Branch member. "Take Naruto-kun's fox, and take care of her . Be sure to feed and clean this fox. Do NOT harm her, got it?" The Branch member nodded in fear. He took Momo to another room. "Well, you can rest in this room for until it's time for dinner." Hiashi left the blonde, to take care of his work.

(Night)

Naruto was sitting in the same room, drinking some tea that a Hyuuga had put on the table. To him, it was pretty nice in the Hyuuga Compound, and it was quiet as well. As he finished the last of his tea, he heard a small cough. Naruto turned his attention to his side to see a girl who looked a bit like Hinata. She was about 7 years old, with dark brown hair with long bangs, and white eyes. She wore armless blue v-neck shirt with a mesh blouse underneath and blue shorts. She had a small glare that failed to intimidate him. Overall, she was an adorable looking girl. Her baby fat made him want to pinch her cheeks.

"Who are you?" She asked cutely. "I've never seen you before." Naruto had a strange urge to pat her head and ruffle her hair, but held back the urge.

"I'm Naruto," he replied. "Hinata's friend." The girl tilted her head, and her long hair spilled out.

"Onee-chan's friend?" Naruto raised an eyebrow at the unexpected development.

"Onee-chan? So you're Hinata's little sister?" The girl nodded, and she sat down seiza position. He could tell that it hurt, because she had an uncomfortable look on her face. For a little girl, she was really traditional. "Well what's your name?"

"Hyuuga Hanabi." Naruto almost laughed, as he actually ruffled her hair. The girl puffed her cheeks, making him ruffle her hair even more.

"Fireworks, huh?" Naruto asked. "You don't seem like one." Hanabi gave him a glare that only added to her charm.

"You're name is a ramen topping though." Naruto's eye twitched and he informed her that his name was meant "maelstrom". Hiashi entered the room, to see Naruto and Hanabi arguing. Naruto was pinching Hanabi's cheeks while the girl was pulling his hair. Hiashi chuckled lightly.

"I see you've met my second daughter, Hanabi." he noted. The two looked up, and quickly quit their shenanigans in the presence of the clan head.

"Otou-sama," Hanabi said, letting go of Naruto's hair. "Why is he here?" Hiashi patted her head, much to the girls chagrin.

"Don't be rude, Hanabi. He's here because he helped your sister twice. I invited him to dinner. Come on you two. It's time to eat. Hanabi, go check on your sister." Hanabi nodded, and went to Hinata's room. Hinata was going to have a surprise.

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><p>Chapter 4 done.<p>

So...yeah. Hiashi and Hanabi was introduced... see ya.

Review/Flame


	5. Graduation

Chapter 5 done, hope you like it. In advance, I apologize for the time skip. I'm keeping the poll up for a few more chapters.

Disclaimer: Me no own Naruto.

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><p>"Hinata-oneechan." Hanabi called, opening the door to her sister's room. She found Hinata sitting on her bed. She was rubbing her eyes, and let out a yawn. The girl ran up to her sister and shook her. "Otou-sama says it's time for dinner." The blue haired girl nodded and stood up. Hanabi took her hand and led her outside her room.<p>

"Y-es, Hanabi-chan. Bu-but uh...Ca-c-can you explain t-to me h-h-how I got here?" She walked with Hanabi through the halls, while Hinata was still confused. All she remembered was a black blur, and a feeling on her body. Something about that thought made her blush. Hanabi seemed ticked off when Hinata asked her the question.

"Some fishcake, or maelstrom, as he insists, carried you here. Stupid blondie?" Hinata looked at her little sister in confusion, but she didn't say anything else.

_'Blondie?'_ she thought. _'Fishcake?'_ Her mind worked like a factory, and one could practically hear the gears turning, before finally, her mind pieced it together. The image of the blonde flashed in her head. He had fallen on top of her, and he had felt her...she didn't want to say it. '_N-Naruto-kun?'_ "U-uh... Hanabi-chan? Di-did the boy yo...u me-m-mentioned happen to ha-hav-have whi-whisker ma-m-marks?" The younger of the two nodded. "I see..."

"Part of me really wanted to touch them," the girl cutely muttered, as she puffed her cheeks. It surprised Hinata to hear her say that, since she usually had a serious attitude. But she had to remember that Hanabi was only 7. "Do you know him, Hinata-oneechan?" The girl blushed, and nodded just barely.

"Yeah." The two arrived at the dining room. It was rather large for a simple dining space, but a lot of Hyuugas were in the compound. A feast would house at least a fraction of the clan. Naruto was sitting next to Hiashi, looking like they were having a conversation. Upon seeing Hinata, the blonde smiled and waved at her. The girl didn't know what to say, not expecting Naruto to be there.

"Hey, Hinata," he greeted a bit nervously. Now the blonde had been through things that people would faint at the sight of. He had lived in a forest for many years on his own, not counting Momo, having to hunt his food everyday. And he even fought a bear with his bare hands, just to make a pun on the event. But, being in the prestigious Hyuuga house, with the head of the clan right next to him, Uzumaki Naruto had never been as nervous and anxious in his life. "Sorry if I'm intruding. Your dad invited me here, and I couldn't exactly refuse his offer." The girl held back the chuckle that was rising up, knowing how NO ONE could refuse her dad.

"N-Na-Naruto-kun." Hinata did not expect this from her dad. It was basic to everyone that her father was one that would rarely look at someone without having a serious face. Here, Hiashi had a smile, a face she did not see often, unless she did something very impressive, or if it was just one of those days. Needless to say, Hinata was beyond surprised. "Otou-sama?" The adult turned to his daughter, and cleared his throat.

"Naruto-kun helped you twice," Hiashi reasoned, not knowing that it was Naruto himself that made Hinata faint, but it wasn't the time to say that. "It was only polite to invite him here. Anyways, sit down, both of you. It's time to eat." Branch members entered the room to put the food on the table, and the blonde was practically drooling at the sight. Hunting for food was fun, but having people bring it to you was nice as well. But for Hinata, it was more awkward than usual when it was just Hanabi and her father with her. Just having Naruto there at the table was something new, but it wasn't all bad as well. For one thing, it was more livelier with his father having conversations with the blonde, and her little sister making snide side comments to annoy him. And at one point, Momo had wandered into the room.

"Momo!" Naruto exclaimed, picking up the fox. He noticed the grooming and cleaning that was done to her. There was even a small bonnet on her head. It took Naruto a lot to keep from laughing. "Uh... you look nice." Momo gave him a look that said, "I'm going to kill you."

"A kitsune," Hanabi said, with a strange look in her eyes. She was looking at Momo longingly, and Naruto got the hint. So, he gently held the fox in front of her, expecting Hanabi to take it.

"Do you want to hold her?" he asked. The brown haired girl hesitated, but nodded. But she was holding back the urge to act like her age, and retained the Hyuuga attitude. He softly laid Momo onto Hanabi's open arms, and the girl hugged her close like she was a prize at a festival. "Don't hold her too hard. Momo's fragile." Hanabi started rubbing Momo's back, making her purr, vibrate in the girl's arms. The feeling made her giggle. Hiashi was smiling at his daughter's happiness, and turned to Naruto.

"So Naruto," Hiashi said, cutting into his meat with as much elegance as one would expect from a Hyuuga. "Where have you been all these years? I was told that you went missing years ago." The blonde thought for a while, wondering whether or not he should answer or not. Well truthfully, anyways.

"Well to be quick, I've been in the forest the whole time." Everyone looked surprised. "Don't worry about it, everyone. I'm still alive, aren't I?" He gave his fox smile. "So, thanks for inviting me here, it was nice. I've never eaten so many different foods before. Do you mind if I take some home?" Hiashi nodded, and Naruto provided a scroll.

"You're training to be a ninja, right?"

"Yeah. Hokage-jiji invited me some time ago." Hiashi cupped his chin in his hand as if thinking of something.

"You know, you remind me of another, that I was friends with in the past. You look alike, too. Can you guess?" Naruto shook his head, obviously not knowing who Hiashi was talking about. The man expected as much, and sighed. "His name was Minato Namikaze. A very famous ninja."

"Namikaze...Minato?" Naruto repeated. He crossed his arms in thought. "The name sounds familiar, but uh... sorry. Nothing comes to mind." Hinata spoke up.

"O-Otou-sama," she said. "Wh-who w...as, Minato Namikaze?"

"Minato was the one nicknamed "Konoha no Kiiroi Senkō(Konoha's Yellow Flash). A man so powerful and cunning, he was considered a shinobi among shinobi. Many know of him for his clashes with the now Raikage of Kumo. And the people of Iwa feared and hated him. Minato was able to defeat a terrible monster that wrecked havoc throughout Konoha." Momo lightly tensed, and Naruto could feel her emotions seeping into his mind. "He was...The Yondaime Hokage." Hiashi looked at the kids who were in turn, staring at him with awestruck looks. "I believe that I have a picture of him, along with others when they were younger. Please excuse me?" Hiashi disappeared into another room, reappearing some minutes later with a photo in hand. "Well, this was the closest photo I could find. Here, have a look." Everyone gathered around the photo, seeing a group of adults. Naruto could recognize Sarutobi, who still had black hair back then. In the middle was Namikaze Minato in his promotion of becoming Hokage. Next to him, was a smiling Hiashi, and a red haired woman who was latching on to the Yondaime's arm fondly.

(Scene from the photo.)

"Omedetou(Congratulations)!" Everyone yelled, as Minato stepped out of the Hokage Tower in his Hokage clothes. Streamers and small firecrackers lit up in the sky above him, as everyone surprised Minato. They surrounded the blonde man, shaking his hand, and congratulating him even further. All the blonde could do, was shake their hands, say "thank you," and scratch his head in embarrassment.

"Minato-kun!" A red haired woman stood in front of Minato with her hands on her hips. She was a beautiful woman with such fair skin, stunning blue eyes. She wore a high-collared, sleeveless loose-fitting dress with a green apron over it. The woman had very long red hair reaching down to her thighs, the same color as Momo's except just a bit duller. She had her hands on her hips, in a rather scolding position.

"Hey Kushina-chan," Minato greeted with a wide grin. "Glad to see you here." A vein popped on her forehead, as she held up her trembling fist and punched Minato's stomach. The man's breath was knocked out, knowing that that would happen. He just loved teasing her.

"That's all you can say?" She growled, watching her husband eventually stand up again. Kushina sighed, and grabbed his face. "Congratulations, Minato-kun." The two connected their lips in a kiss, eliciting a cheer from everyone. However, A flash disrupted their moment. The two found a young man wearing a face mask wearing the standard Konoha shinobi outfit along with iron plated gloves. His spiky white hair stuck out in different places, making him look like he had just gotten out of bed in his work clothes. The man raised his hand up in greeting.

"Sensei," the man droned. "I'm so happy that you got the Hokage position."

"Kakashi," Minato said. "I thought you'd be busy with your book. Well, it's nice to see you." Kakashi scratched his head.

"There's no way I'd miss this day." A green blur made it's way to Kakashi's side. It revealed a man in a green jumpsuit, and bowl cut hair. He had his thumb up, in a nice guy pose. Everybody cringed at the sight of the man, but he paid then no heed.

"Of course he would be here," the green clad man exclaimed. "And if he's here, then I will battle him with my Flames of Youth!" His body seemed on fire. Actually, he WAS on fire. Everyone could feel the radiating heat. "Are you ready, Kakashi?" The masked Jonin was already reading a book, completely enthralled in it.

"Did you say something?" he mumbled. Gai's flames disappeared, and his mouth touched the ground. He raised his fist in the air.

"Curse you and your attitude!" Minato and Kushina laughed at the scene.

"Minato," someone said from behind the two. It was Hiashi. He looked that same as his present self. Next to him was a woman with long dark purple hair, who was most likely Hinata and Hanabi's mother. Like Hiashi, and all of the Hyuuga clan for that matter, she had pupil-less eyes. "Looks like you got the position. I feel happy for you. To be honest, Kotomi-chan kept on bugging me to come here."

"Well that's... nice," Minato deadpanned. Kotomi bowed.

"Congratulations," she said. "I hope you and Kushina have a good future, and may you lead our village." Minato returned the gesture.

"Thank you, Kotomi-chan."

"It's time for the photo everyone!" The cameraman yelled. "Hurry up!" Everyone got into their positions, with Kushina holding onto Minato's arm, and Hiashi on the other side with a smile. His wife stood by his side.

"3...2...1...Smile!"

(Scene end)

"Wow," Hinata said, as Hiashi finished the story. "Otou-sama. W-wh-who is th-the woman nex-next to the Yond-Yondaime?" Hiashi looked at all of them.

"She was Minato's wife," he answered, being as vague as possible. "Her name was Kushina." Hanabi tilted her head.

"I never knew that he had a wife," she said.

"What happened to him?" Naruto asked.

"Well, in order to defeat a threat that was about to destroy Konoha, he had to sacrifice his own life. The fate of Kushina, was never mentioned. Anyways, I'm not allowed to reveal according to the Sandaime and his newly added laws. I'm sorry." Everyone nodded in understanding. Naruto looked at the clock.

"It's time for me to go," he announced, bowing. "Thank you for the food."

"I see," Hiashi said. "Come back any time."

"Sure thing, Hiashi-san. See you later, Hinata-chan, Hanabi chan. Come on, Momo." The fox jumped out of Hanabi's arms, and into Naruto's. The three Hyuuga's waved the jinchuuriki goodbye.

(Later)

Naruto and Momo were back in their hut. Momo was in her human form, curled next to Naruto. She was crying, remembering the massacre 10 years ago, while Naruto tried to comfort her.

"Only we know how the real story went," Naruto said. "Isn't that right, Momo?" He stroked Momo's long beautiful crimson hair like a parent would to calm their child. The girl nodded, and grasped Naruto's sleeves, her face buried in his jacket.

"Yeah," Momo replied sadly. "I still feel bad about doing that to Konoha." Suddenly, she felt the embrace of two strong arms, and realized that Naruto was hugging her, and holding him close to his body. A blush appeared on her face, but the boy couldn't see it.

"You know it wasn't your fault. Don't be so upset about it."

"You don't know how it feels, fishcake." Naruto lightly laughed, hearing Momo insult him, despite her crying. He kissed her head.

"It's Maelstrom, peachy. Oyasuminasai(Good night), Momo-chan." The two let sleep overcome them.

(Two years later. Yeah. I decided to do a time skip here. I suck at this.)

"So this is your last day, isn't it?" Sarutobi asked, as he and Naruto sat down in Ichiraku Ramen. Before school started, the blonde had bugged Sarutobi into buying ramen for him. "I hope you become a Genin. A ninja of your skill, can really help the village." Naruto finished another bowl, and gave the old man his grin.

"You bet I will, Hokage-jiji. I'll become a Genin, and one day surpass the Yondaime himself." Sarutobi raised an eyebrow. "He was able to stop the Kyuubi when it nearly destroyed the village. I hope I can be that strong." The old man smiled, hearing Naruto's goal.

"I bet you will. And one day, you might be the one wearing these clothes, ruling the village." The blonde looked to his elder, with a big smile.

"You really think I can do it?" Sarutobi nodded. "I will hold you to that. Be prepared to turn over your hat. Another bowl, Ossan!"

(School)

"Alright," Iruka announced to the class. "Today is when you graduate. But that's only if you pass the tests." Naruto and Sasuke grinned. They were sure to pass. "First, is the written test, observing your knowledge of being a ninja. Begin." Everyone leaned into their work immediately. It was fairly easy for everyone, with questions of the elemental countries to simple jutsu names.

_'Name all the Kage?'_ Naruto thought. _'Uh... Hokage, Mizukage, Raikage, Tsuchikage... What else?'_ Momo's voice sounded in his mind.

_'Naruto-kun,'_ she said, making Naruto raise an eyebrow at the "kun" part. _'It's the Kazekage, remember?'_

_'Oh yeah, thanks...What simple jutsu would you use to get a quick getaway? I guess that would be Kawarimi(Body Replacement) no Jutsu.'_

Once everyone was finished, the class went outside to find several targets_. _Mizuki stepped to the class.

_"_In this test," he explained. "We will observe your abilities with projectiles. So, we will give you all kunai and shuriken. Your objective is to get 10/10. Anyone, step up._" _As time went by, each person stepped up. Sasuke got 10/10, Shino got 9/10 Sakura got 3/10, along with Ino. Kiba got 7/10, and Hinata got 9/10. Shikamaru said it was too troublesome, but still got 10/10.

"Guess I'm next," Naruto said. Mizuki handed him 5 kunai and 5 shuriken, while secretly attaching Chakra strings on them.

_'I will make sure you fail,'_ Mizuki sneered. '_Then, I can put my plan into action.'_ Naruto smirked, cutting one of the strings. He readied one of the tied kunai, and threw it at a target. Mizuki moved a finger, changing the kunai's course to a tree.

"What's he doing?" Kiba questioned. "Is he trying to fail?" Sasuke shrugged, and thought for a while.

"Hinata," he said. "Use your Byakugan, and look at Naruto's weapons." The purple haired girl nodded, and activated her family's dojutsu. She made a small gasp. "What is it?"

"Naruto-kun's w-wea-weapons are at-atta...ched with Chakra st-strings." She followed the string's origin. "It's Mi-Mizuki-sensei. Is he trying to mak-m-make Naruto-kun fail?"

Naruto threw the untied kunai, hitting the first. The two hit the middle of two different targets. He repeated the process, until he finished with 10/10.

"He was able to pass," Mizuki growled.

"Last one," Iruka announced. "It's the jutsu test. We will observe your abilities in the three jutsus taught in the academy. Kawarimi(Body Replacement), Bunshin(Clone), and Henge(Transformation). If you do all those, then you pass. Good luck." One by one, people stood up for the test. Some failed, while some were graduated. It was Naruto and Sasuke left.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Mizuki called. The raven haired boy stood up, and walked to the front of the class. "First, the Kawarimi. Please perform the jutsu." Sasuke did the hand seals: Ram, Boar, Ox, Dog, and Snake.

"Kawarimi no jutsu," he said. In a poof of smoke, Sasuke was replaced with a chair. Mizuki checked it off as pass.

"Next, the Henge."

"Dog, Boar, Ram. Henge no jutsu!" Sasuke's image was changed into Iruka's. The teacher examined the transformation.

"Very good," Iruka complemented. "You got my image right. You passed the Henge. Last, you need to do the Bunshin. If you do it correctly, then you pass." Sasuke performed the signs: Ram, Snake, and Tiger.

"Bunshin no justu!" Sasuke exclaimed. 3 clones of Sasuke came into existence.

"And you pass. Go ahead, and take your Hitai-ate(Forehead Protector). Congratulations." Sasuke smirked, and took one of the head bands. "Uzumaki Naruto."

As Sasuke and Naruto passed each other, Sasuke said, "You better pass, Uzumaki."

Naruto grinned, and replied, "I will, Uchiha." The two shook hands.

"Alright," Iruka started. "Please perform the Kawarimi." Naruto nodded.

"Kawarimi no Jutsu," Naruto exclaimed. He was replaced with a sitting Mizuki, making him fall down. He looked down at the man with a smug look on his face. "How's that, Mizuki-sensei?" The white haired Chunin made a small growl, and stood up.

"Very nice," Mizuki replied. "But please don't use me in your Jutsus." Naruto grinned. "Please do the Henge." Naruto thought for a while, before snapping his fingers.

"Henge no Jutsu!" In a poof of smoke, Naruto was replaced with a stunning image. His figure grew taller, and his hair became neater. In a puff of smoke, his black shirt disappeared to become a Konoha flak jacket, and his black coat became white with a red flame pattern at the bottom. The cloth covering his eye disappeared, revealing a blue eye that matched his other one.

"Y-Yondaime-sama!" Iruka stuttered. Naruto/Minato looked at the Chunin with deep blue eyes. Everyone thought it was interesting how Naruto's normal look was similar to the Yondaime himself. Same hair, same eye, and same looks. The only difference of the two, was that Naruto had whisker marks, and cloth covering his eyes. Otherwise, the resemblance was striking, but they thought nothing else of it.

"You look surprised," Naruto/Minato said. "Did I do it correctly?" The Chunin dumbly nodded. "That's great!" He made his signature fox smile, before dispelling the transformation. "And now, the Bunshin." Mizuki quickly did hand seals under his desk.

"Midasu(Disturb) no jutsu," he muttered. Naruto grinned, feeling a slight discomfort.

_'Momo?'_ he thought. The fox heard his voice. _'Can you dispel it?'_

_'Of course,'_ Momo replied, getting rid of the jutsu's effect.

"Bunshin no jutsu." Mizuki was surprised, when Naruto made 5 clones. Each clone simultaneously gave him a grin that seemed to mock him.

_'What?'_ he seethed. _'Why didn't it work? Now I have to steal the scroll myself!"_ "You... pass. Congratulations, Naruto." Naruto bowed, and casually walked up to pick up his Hitai-ate. His friends surrounded him, and Hinata was even able to congratulate the blonde. He spared Mizuki one last look, before departing.

(Evening)

Naruto was in a meditating pose, concentrating." Momo stood on one side of the hut with her arms crossed. Whatever the blonde was doing, Momo could feel it. She felt a large amount of Chakra being used.

"And how would you know if that Mizuki guy is going to the forest?" She saw Naruto smirk. "It's going to take forever to just look for him." Naruto looked at the Bijuu from his shoulder, and gave her a smile.

"Easy," he replied. "It's actually something I've been developing ever since I arrived in this forest. It was just an idea, but now that I've grown, I can finally use it. You see, over the course of time, I've been pouring my Chakra all over the forest. And all that to use this one Jutsu. Mizuki needed something from me, since he wanted to fail. Probably to steal something. And to escape the sights of any ANU, he'll most likely end up here. Mori Kokei(Forest Sight) no Jutsu." Naruto's body glowed, as he closed his eye. In his mind, he could feel everything that was going on in the forest. He could see what was going on in every square inch. It almost made his mind explode from the power. But, he saw every flap of the wings of a bird, and he could feel the ants crawling on the floor. Every inch of the forest was in his sight at incredible speeds. And in one part, he found what he was looking for. A Chakra signature that was different from his, disturbing the Chakra that he had been pouring.

Mizuki was jumping through the trees, with a big scroll on his back. He seemed to be in a hurry, as he traveled further into the woods.

"I've go to hurry," Mizuki said. "The ANBU could come at anytime." He let out a laugh. "With this, Lord Orochimaru will be pleased. I'll have all the power I want."

"You better be right about this," Momo mumbled The glowing faded, and Naruto opened his eye. He grinned.

"Found him."


	6. Fuin no Sho

Chapter 6 up. Hope you like it.

Wow. You guys really want Hanabi, don't you? That's cool. Anyways, I didn't think so many people would read this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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><p>"Hokage-sama!" Iruka yelled, entering Sarutobi's office. "The Fuin no Sho(Scroll of Seals) has been stolen by Mizuki!" The elderly man calmly looked up from his desk.<p>

"I know," he replied. He motioned for the Chunin to come towards him. "Look at this." Sarutobi revealed his crystal ball. It showed Mizuki in the forest with the Scroll on his back. Another vision showed Naruto going after him. "Go to Naruto, Iruka. I fear the worst." Iruka nodded, and exited the building in search of Naruto. "Be careful."

(Forest of Death)

Mizuki halted his advances when he sensed a projectile coming his way. He jumped to the side and followed the traced the trajectory.

"Who's there?" Mizuki demanded. "Show yourself!" The sound of trees rustling, caught his attention, making him throw a kunai at the area. The response was for the same kunai to come back towards him. "It's not wise to underestimate me." Another rustle made him turn around.

"Mizuki-sensei," Naruto called. "Can you find me?" A flash caught Mizuki's attention, signaling a rain of projectiles. He brought up the large shuriken on his back to shield himself. "You've got something interesting on your back. Mind if I ask what it is?"

"It's you," Mizuki growled. "So the Demon Brat has come to play." Mizuki looked around for the blonde.

"Demon?" Naruto questioned, revealing himself. The look on his face was enought to make Mizuki feel like dying. "You don't know the meaning of the word. I suggest you return what you stole, Mizuki-sensei. You could be executed." Mizuki's teeth gnashed together in frustration.

"Cut the crap! I have what I want. There's no reason for me not to enjoy my victory with your execution. I can finally rid myself of you without consequence!" Mizuki unleashed a torrent of kunai and shuriken at the blonde who stood still. He could intercept them by himself, and he planned to do so to show just who Mizuki was picking a fight with. That is until..

"Naruto-kun!" A voice yelled. Naruto, who was too busy glaring at Mizuki did not notice the figure coming to his unneeded aid. The blonde looked in shock as a body fell to the floor. Iruka's bloody torso was riddled with projectiles. "I guess I made it in time." Naruto was too shocked to react.

"Iruka-sensei," Naruto mumbled. He had not planned this. This wasn't supposed to happen. "Why are you here?" The Chunin struggled to get on his feet, and removed the weapons in his body.

"What are you talking about?" Iruka asked with a smile. "I couldn't let you be hurt. You're like a little brother to me." The look on the blonde's face was a mixture of genuine confusion and surprise. The surprise was interrupted by another rain. This time, Naruto deflected all of them. Mizuki was glaring at the two.

"Stop disgusting me," Mizuki spat, directing his frustration at the scarred Chunin. "You were the last person I had expected to help this demon." Iruka returned Mizuki's attack, but his opponent simply jumped to the side. "After all, he did kill your parents."

"You're wrong! Everything you know about Naruto is false!" His words fell on deaf ears. Mizuki took his words and laughed at them. "Just stop this now, Mizuki. Hokage-sama might forgive you."

"Hokage-sama? He's not the one I serve. That old man will bow down to Orochimaru-sama. Now die!" Mizuki hurled the giant shuriken at Naruto.

"Watch out!" Iruka yelled, guarding Naruto once more. The shuriken hit Iruka's back, piercing several inches into his body, and making him cough blood. Naruto stared at the agony that twisted and morphed his teacher's face.

"Why would you risk your life for me?" Naruto questioned. His chest was aching with an emotion he didn't recognize. Was this worry? Regret? Guilt? "What reason do you have to go through this for someone like me? You should've known that I could protect myself."

"I told you, Naruto-kun. You are like a little brother to me. That's my reason for doing what I do. Just because you can protect yourself doesn't mean that you have to face your problems by yourself. Now run! Get away from here!" Naruto stood firmly. "I said RUN!" Iruka focused chakra in his hands, and pushed the blonde away. Naruto was too confused to react, and landed deeper into the forest. Iruka caught his breath, and faced Mizuki

"Now we're alone," Mizuki said. "I do not understand you, Iruka. There's no reason to want to protect that...thing! He's a demon, that will destroy everything!" Iruka grunted as he removed the giant shuriken from his back.

"Shut up!" Iruka yelled, throwing the weapon back. The shuriken slightly grazed Mizuki's side. "Naruto is not like that!" Unbeknownst to them, Naruto was watching their fight from a nearby tree.

"I don't understand," Naruto mumbled. "I've never seen anyone be so protective of me." Momo sat down next to him, trying to help the blonde cope with his unfamiliar feelings.

"He cares about you," she said.

"That's impossible." The sureness of Naruto's words shocked Momo. He truly believed that no one could care for him. "He's doing this just to appeal to me. It's all just an act."

"That Demon Brat will leave no one alive!" Mizuki yelled. "He was the one who killed your parents!" He unhooked the other shuriken.

"Yes," Iruka said. Naruto clenched his fists, hearing Iruka agree with Mizuki.

"I knew it!" Naruto growled. "All this time he-"

"That's what a demon would do. But he is not a demon! He is Uzumaki Naruto. Konoha's future Hokage!" Naruto stared at the grin that was on Iruka's face, once again surprised.

"So you're not going to help me? Then I guess you will have to DIE!" Mizuki threw the shuriken at the tired Chunin who could not have been able to do anything about it. He was at his limit.

"No!" Naruto yelled. He shunshined in front of Iruka, and caught the shuriken in mid air. Mizuki could feel the pressure coming for him. It became harder for him to breath. "You're not going to hurt Iruka-sensei anymore!"

"And what can you do? You're just one Genin!"

"One?" Naruto grinned, and brought his hands up in a cross. "Kage Bunshin(Shadow Clone) no jutsu!" In a flash of smoke, dozens of clones appeared. The Chunin looked in fear as the clones all looked at him with the same malice."Is this good enough, you bastard?" The silence of the night was interrupted by the screams of Mizuki.

...

"You did good," Iruka said, as Naruto carried him. Another clone was holding, or rather dragging the unconscious Mizuki. "I didn't expect you to know that jutsu. I can tell that someday, you will become very powerful ninja." Naruto smiled.

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei." Naruto dropped off Iruka at the hospital, before heading out to his next destination. "So he really does care." Naruto proceeded to the Hokage tower with Mizuki.

(Hokage Tower)

"Hokage-jiji!" Naruto called, throwing the unconscious Mizuki on the floor. "I think you might want to have a word with him." Sarutobi gave the blonde a smile, and made his way towards him.

"Good job," he congratulated, ruffling Naruto's hair. "ANBU! Take Mizuki to Ibiki for interrogation. After that, take him to the prisons." Several blurs took Mizuki outside. "I had my suspicions of Mizuki. I guess I was right. Thank you for apprehending him." Naruto nodded and started his journey to his house.

"Anytime," Naruto said, before stopping. "And Hokage-jiji. Mizuki said a name. He said something about a guy named Orochimaru." Sarutobi's breathing stopped for a second. There was a clear reaction from the nation's leader.

"Got it, Naruto-kun." Sarutobi watched the blonde exit his office, before going into deep thought.

"It's pretty late," Naruto yawned. "Boy am I looking forward to sleep."

"Wait a minute!" a voice called. A kunai sped towards Naruto, who jumped out of the way. In a poof of smoke, the kunai was replaced with a woman, dressed in a trench coat, and fishnet outfit. Her purple was tied up in a ponytail like Iruka. Naruto gave a tired grin at the woman in front of him.

"Oh. Hey Mitarashi-san." To his surprise, Anko slapped him on the back of his head. "What the hell was that for, you crazy snake lady?"

"I told you not to call me that anymore," Anko scolded. "Call me Anko-chan, or Anko-hime(princess)... or Joo-sama(queen)" She ended with a grin that still looked reminiscently like his own. "Now say it." Naruto sighed.

"Anything I can help you with, Anko-chan?"

"That's better. Now come on. We're going for dango and ramen." Naruto perked up at the mention of ramen, and followed Anko. "Oh, and you're paying." After that, the blonde blanked.

(Ichiraku)

"So Naruto-kun," Ayame said, setting a bowl of ramen in front of him. "I heard that you became a Genin. Congratulations!" Naruto scratched his head in embarrassment.

"It's nothing," he mumbled. Anko patted the blonde's back.

"You made Genin?" Anko asked. "We should be celebrating then. I also heard that you stopped Mizuki from getting the Fuin no Sho. A Genin, easily defeating a Chunin."

"Food on the house tonight," Teuchi announced, making the two customers cheer. As they ate, Anko found herself looking at Naruto repeatedly.

_'You're going far,'_ she thought, digging into her dango.

(Next Morning)

Naruto sat in the class with everyone, waiting for the team placements.

"I better not be paired up with Shikamaru," Naruto grumbled. For the past 2 years, the two had been pranking each other. Whether it was tripping, or using jutsus, the two made fun of each other repeatedly. The hustle and bustle of the classroom was silenced when an injured Iruka walked into the room.

"Whoa!" Kiba exclaimed. "What happened to you, Iruka-sensei?" The Chunin laughed.

"Oh this?" he said. "It was a bit of a scuffle. You don't need to worry. Anyways, it's time to announce the team placements." He began reading through the teams. "Team 7, Uzumaki Naruto," The blonde looked up. "Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke smirked. "And Haruno Sakura, with your Sensei, Hatake Kakashi"

"Eh?" Sakura said. "Me? YES!" She stood up on her desk, and raised her arms. "Take that Ino, you pig! I get to be with Sasuke-kun!" The Yamanaka pouted, slamming her head on her desk. Naruto put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "All of you other fangirls lose!"

"Team 8," Iruka continued. " Abarume Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Hyuuga Hinata, with Yuhi Kurenai." Hinata looked down, knowing that she wasn't in the same team as Naruto. "Team 9 is still in use. Team 10, Akimichi Choji, Nara Shikamaru, and Yamanaka Ino, with Sarutobi Asuma."

"What?" Ino shouted. "How come I have to be teamed up with fatty and lazy?" She didn't notice Naruto and Shikamaru restraining the Akimichi. "This isn't fair."

"Don't be like that," Naruto reasoned. "Choji and Shikamaru are good people... Well maybe not Shikamaru." The Nara glared. "Give them a chance. Plus, I believe it is a tradition for a Nara, Akimichi and Yamanaka to be in the same team." The platinum blonde took Naruto's words into account, and seemed to accept them. She didn't really have any problems with her team members.

"I had a feeling this would happen," Iruka sighed, before going through seals. "Ookii Attama(Big Head) no jutsu." Iruka's head grew large. "EVERYONE BE QUIET!" he yelled, making everyone stop in there tracks. His head went back to normal. "That's better. Now wait here, for your new teachers to pick you up." With that, he bid farewell to his former students. One by one, the Jonin came to pick up their students, until it was only Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura left.

"Where is he?" Sakura exclaimed. "This Kakashi guy is hours late!" Naruto's eye twitched at the volume of her voice. It looked like Sasuke was the same. She jumped towards Sasuke. "Sasuke-kuuuun! Do you wanna go out with me?" Sakura batted her eyelashes. Sasuke and Naruto looked at Sakura blankly.

"...No," Sasuke deadpanned. "Now leave me alone." Naruto chuckled, as Sakura walked away dejectedly.

"It sucks being you," he said to the Uchiha "Those girls must get very annoying." The raven haired boy sighed and raked his hair.

"You don't even know the half of it. Even old women ask me to marry them. Every time I walk outside, everyone asks me to either marry them, or to marry their children. Sometimes, the ninja world is very disturbing." Naruto gave a wistful smile.

"It's the exact opposite with me. When I go outside, everyone avoids me." Sasuke raised an eyebrow. This was the first that he had heard of this. The gang never met outside of school, so he never noticed the villagers' attitude towards the boy.

"Why?"

"...It's kinda complicated." After a moment of silence, Naruto forced his face into a grin. "But enough of that. We have Hatake Kakashi as a Sensei, right? I was told that he is a very strong ninja who has had tons of experience in battles." At that moment, the door opened, revealing a man with spiky white hair, and a mask covering his lower face. His head protector covered his left eye in the same fashion as Naruto.

"Is this Team 7?" the man asked. The three nodded. "My first impression is... I don't like you."

"Eh?" Naruto said. He stood up. "What did you say, old man? I'd like to see you say that to my face." The man leaned in, meeting eye-to-eye(literally).

"I don't like you. All of you, meet me up on the roof." The man disappeared in a poof of smoke, taking everyone by surprise. Naruto growled, and started his trip to the roof.

"Let's go," he said.

(Roof)

The three found their teacher leaning on a railing with a book in his hand. He waved at them in a nonchalant manner, which only fueled the blonde's annoyance.

"It's about time," he droned. "I've been waiting for you guys." Sasuke glared at the person who would be their teacher.

"You're one to talk," he retorted. "You left us in that room for hours."

"I had to help this old woman who dropped all of her groceries. Her house was on the other side of Konoha." The Genin mumbled the word "liar." "Now, let's have a simple introduction to get to each other, alright? Anyone go first."

"Why don't _you_ go first?" Sakura suggested. Kakashi shrugged.

"Fine. My name is Hatake Kakashi. My likes... not important. My dislikes... can't really say. Hobbies... I don't want to tell you. Dreams... Nothing." Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura looked at Kakashi blankly.

"That's it? We didn't get anything useful from that."

"How about you go, Miss Pinky? " Sakura huffed at Kakashi's insult.

"I'm Haruno Sakura. I like," She looked at Sasuke. "My hobbies," Same action. "My dream," She looked at Sasuke again, and squealed.

"And your dislikes?"

"Naruto and Ino-shishi!" The blonde rolled his eyes. He had expected that.

"Blondie Cyclops up next." Naruto's eye twitched.

"You're one to talk, you one eyed sloth." He shook his head, deciding that it was in his best interest to not have troubles with his teacher. "The name's Uzumaki Naruto. I like ramen, training, and Momo." Everyone raised an eyebrow at the mention of Momo. "I dislike... I actually don't want to mention that. My hobbies are training, and my dream, as of yesterday,is to become Hokage."

"You sure you can do that?" Kakashi asked. "Now the emo." Sasuke gave the Jounin a quick glare.

"Someday you will all pay. I'm Uchiha Sasuke. My likes and hobbies are training, and becoming stronger. I dislike all of my fangirls, and my dream... No. My ambition is to kill a certain someone." He was surprised, when Naruto punched his arm. "Ah! What was that for, Uzumaki?" The blonde smirked.

"You told me to do that whenever you started going broody on us, remember?" The Uchiha thought for a while.

"Oh yeah. Well... that's it." Kakashi nodded, thinking of his team.

_'I got a fangirl, an excited cyclops, and the last Uchiha,'_ he thought. _'But it seems that Sasuke isn't as broody as before. It looks like he and Naruto have become friends.'_ "I see," Kakashi said. "Well, come to the training grounds tomorrow at 6. I suggest that you don't eat, or you'll get nauseous." He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"He's gonna be our Sensei?" Naruto asked. "He isn't like how I thought he would be." Sasuke nodded his head. "Well, see you tomorrow. I gotta go prepare for tomorrow."

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><p>Chapter 6 done. Hope you liked it.<p>

I suck at small talk. So... how are you all? Even If I don't know you, I'm just asking. Please keep voting for the other girls.

Review


	7. Interaction

Chapter 7 up, hope you like it.

This is pretty much a filler chapter that interacts with some females in Konoha, so yeah. kind of random. The poll will end, after the next episode, and by then, I hope there won't be too many ties, cause I have no idea what to do with that. Also, does anyone want Naruto to learn Tsuga(Passing Fang)? Cause if you do, then I have this awesome idea in the Sand/Sound invasion.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

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><p>The blonde decided that he would need some more equipment for the test tomorrow. As he walked through the market area of Konoha, ignoring the stares from everyone, the jinchuuriki noticed a familiar blue mop of hair. His mood instantly brightened, as he started running towards her.<p>

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto called. Hinata turned around to see Naruto running towards her. She stopped to let him catch up with her. Hanabi, who was accompanying her sister, started jumping up and down while waving. "Hey, Hanabi-chan, how are you both?" Momo popped her head from Naruto's hood, before jumping into Hanabi's arms. The girl began to pet the bijuu. How strange it was to see a little girl subdue the one who nearly destroyed the village. _'You like being petted, don't you?'_ Naruto thought.

_'You be quiet,'_ Momo replied. _'The feeling I get being petted, is about the same as whenever someone rubs your whisker marks.'_ Hearing that, Naruto's eyes slightly glazed over, remembering the feeling.

"We-We're fin-fine, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, snapping Naruto out of his imagination. "How w-was yo-ur sensei?" Naruto sighed, and hung his head.

"Well, Kakashi-sensei is okay, but he's not what I expected at all. I thought he would be awesome, and wise, but he's just a laid back person, who has no sense of time. And he has the nerve to call me a cyclops, when he's one himself." Hinata moved to comfort her friend, until Naruto raised his head with a fire in his eyes. "But damn, he looks so cool. I wonder where I can get that face mask." The two Hyuuga sisters looked at each other with a small laugh. That is, until they realized that Naruto was actually serious.

"Ano... Na-Nar-Naruto-kun?" The blonde came back to his senses. "N-no to be ru...de, but can yo-you please get b-back to the po-point?" Naruto scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Sorry about that. Overall, Kakashi is okay, but he has some annoying traits. Uh... How about you, Hinata-chan? What kind of person is that Kurenai woman?" Hinata pressed her fingers together.

"Sh-she was nice. B-but he-her eyes... th-they intimidate me." Naruto seemed to remember how the woman's eye's were a deep color of red. Maybe she was a distant branch of the Uchihas. He thought they were pretty cool. "K-Ki-Kiba-kun and Sh-Shino-kun w-we-were also nice."

"Really? Well they better be. You should tell me if someone hurts you. I'll be sure to teach them a lesson." Hinata blushed at that. Naruto knelt to look at Hanabi. "You too, Hanabi-chan." The little girl put her hands on her hips, and gave the boy a glare/pout. He resisted the urge to pinch her cheeks.

"I can take care of myself," she said. "I'm stronger than my sister." Naruto smirked, and looked behind her.

"There's a spider on your shoulder," Naruto noted. The little Hyuuga tensed, and slowly looked at her shoulder. Lying there, was a small spider. Needless to say, she did what a lot of people do.

"Ah! Get it off! Get it off!" She ran to the blonde, tugging on his clothes. Naruto laughed, and picked up the small arachnid. He threw the spider away. "Is it gone yet?" Naruto put his hand on her shoulder.

"Open your eyes," he said. The little girl did so, and searched her body for the arachnid. "What was that about 'being able to take care of yourself?'" He laughed, when Hanabi glared at him. "You're still little, Hanabi-chan. You should be happy with people protecting you." He turned back to Hinata, all the while pinching Hanabi's cheeks. "So... where were you two going?"

"We were going to the weapons store," Hanabi replied. "Do you want to come?" Naruto's eyerows furrowed. Hinata noticed the look of discomfort on his face.

"I don't know...Not many people welcome me to their stores." The two Hyuuga sisters tilted their heads in confusion. "I'll explain another time. Let's go see the store for now." The three soon arrived in a store called Tetsuha Weapons. _'I'm actually stepping in a possible deathtrap... I question my sanity.'_

"Welcome," a man with rough brown hair greeted, as Hinata, Hanabi, and Naruto stepped in. Under his burly clothes must've been a muscular build, seeing as he was carrying a big hammer with one hand. The man wore black gloves, along with a blacksmith apron over chain armor. Naruto was wary of his surroundings, which the man noticed. He put his hands on his chin _'Is that... Naruto? Kami, he's grown.'_ "You, blondie." Naruto looked at the man, who made himself ready to fight. "You wouldn't happen to be, Uzumaki Naruto, are you?" The blonde tensed, and nodded. "Well in that case..." Naruto prepared himself for an ambush. "Come in, come in!"

"...Eh?" Naruto asked. The man had a big smile, as he led the three into the store. "You mean you're not going to kick me out?" _'I did not see this coming.'_

"Why would I kick you out? Just because of _that_?" He emphasized the word _that_, referring to the Kyuubi. Of course only Naruto and Momo understood him. It sailed over the heads of the Hyuugas. "No. You go ahead, and buy your weapons from here. Think of it as me monopolizing a customer. Oh, and I'm Tetsuha Tekko." Naruto looked around, at the many blades that was hanging on the wall. He was still surprised at how Tekko had accepted him into the store. Naruto was fully expecting the man to be throwing the weapons that hung from his store shelves. It was the first time Naruto had been in a weapons shop, and he couldn't help but be amazed at what was for sale. The Forest of Death only had so much to provide. Most of the things he found were rusty and weak.

"Man, this place must have everything." He set his eyes on a certain weapon. It looked like two kamas(Japanese equivalent of sickles) connected from the ends, by strong iron chains. "Oh, man that looks awesome!" He picked up the weapon, and examined it. The blacksmith looked up from his forge.

"Got your eyes on that?" Tekko asked, startling the blonde, and making the man laugh. "Don't be so scared, Naruto-kun. Do you wanna buy that Kusari-gama, or not?" Naruto stared at the man, wondering if he should answer. "Well?"

"Sure, but... I don't even know how to use it." Tekko laughed again, and slapped Naruto's back.

"That's okay. I'll throw in a free guide for it. Now come on, and I'll ring it up." Tekko brought it to the counter, and took off the security seal. "Anything else you need, Naruto-kun?" Naruto was still wary, but he decided to trust the man. He sensed no ulterior motive.

_'How about a scythe?'_ Momo suggested. _'I've always wanted to feel the rush of swinging that kind of weapon around, like Shinigami-sama.'_ Naruto felt insecure, hearing the mischief in Momo's voice.

_'Why should I do that?'_ Naruto asked. _'You might start hacking at the animals in the Forest of Death, if I get that.'_ He heard Momo's sneaky laughter.

_'If you get me a scythe, then I'll let you use that perverted jutsu anytime you wan-'_

"I'll take a scythe, if you have one," Naruto said. Tekko raised an eyebrow at this. "Just something I want." The blacksmith put his hand on his chin, and thought for a while.

"I'll go see if we have one in the back." The man disappeared into the storage, leaving Naruto, Hinata, and Hanabi to browse.

_'...You are such a pervert, Ero-gaki.'_

_'Everyone is a pervert, you freaking fruit.'_ Naruto felt Momo's presence go away.

"Di-did you find an-anyt-anything, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, carrying several sealing scrolls. The blonde looked to the sisters. "W-we have our ite-items al...ready, so we'r-we're gon-gonna pay an-and go." Hanabi was also holding scrolls in her hands, with Momo on her head.

"Alright," Naruto replied. "See you, Hinata-chan, Hanabi-chan. I'll see you later." Momo jumped inside Naruto's hood.

"Bye, Naruto-kun/Onii-chan." Naruto felt an overwhelming shiver, hearing Hanabi call him "Onii-chan." When he was sure the sister were out of sight, Naruto let out a breath as he clutched his chest.

_'W-What the hell was THAT!'_ he thought. At that moment, a girl entered the building. She had brown eyes and long brown hair, which she wore in Chinese-style buns on either side of her head. Her Forehead Protector was placed around her head, under her fringe. The girl wore a pink sleeveless blouse and dark green pants.

"I'm home," she called, holding several boxes. "Dad, where are you?" The girl saw Naruto standing in front of the counter looking like he was hyperventilating. "Huh? Are you a customer? There's no one in the counter right now." The blonde took notice of the girl, and quickly straightened himself out.

"Huh? I-I was just waiting for Tekko-san to come out?" The girl tilted her head in confusion. "He's been in there for a while now." Right then, The two heard a large crash, followed by the sound of fire, coming from the room where Tekko was.

"I'm okay!" Tekko yelled. "No need to worry! Just wait a little while longer, Naruto-kun!" Naruto let out a nervous laugh.

"You know him?" The bun haired girl asked.

"I just met him today," Naruto replied. "And you are?"

"Tetsuha Tenten. Nice to meet you."

"Uzumaki Naruto. So you're related to Tekko? His daughter, maybe?" Ten-Ten nodded.

"Yeah. It's my job to get the new shipments in for the shop." Tenten opened the box, and brought out a kunai, with an exploding tag tied to the end, along with other weapons. "These tags have even more bang than the usual tags, and these shuriken come with poison inside the metal, that activate when in contact with blood. It paralyzes your opponent, so you can have an advantage." Naruto listened, as Tenten gave a description of the many weapons.

"You really like weapons, don't you?" Tenten paused, and thought about it.

"Yeah, I do. You see, My family isn't very good with Ninjutsu, so we use weapons instead. It's really handy, and doesn't take too much chakra." Tenten picked up the boxes. "Well, I have to put up the new shipment now. Feel free to browse, Naruto-san." Naruto nodded, as Tenten started taking out of the weapons. Suddenly, Tenten accidentally bumped a wall, making the weapons fall.

"Tenten!" Naruto exclaimed, grabbing the Kusari-gama. He threw one kama, letting the chain wrap around Tenten with the blade harmlessly hanging to the side. With a big pull, Tenten found herself out of harm's way. Naruto was supporting her back like a prince leaning for a kiss. "Kami, that was close." At that moment, the storage door opened.

"Found it!" Tekko yelled, exiting the storage holding a long stick with a curved blade at the end . From what Naruto saw, the room was a mess... and on fire. "I found your-" He noticed Naruto holding one side of the Kusarigama, while the other was wrapped around Tenten. An air of awkwardness and silence filled the room. "What the hell are you doing to my daughter?" Tekko raised the scythe, preparing to deliver some "Angry Father Judgment" on the blonde.

(Later)

"Ah," Tekko said, with his hand covering his mouth. "So the weapons were about to fall on you, so Naruto-kun," He pointed at the unconscious blonde on the floor. "used the chain to pull you out of harm's way?" Tenten nodded, making Tekko scratch his head in embarrassment. "Whoops!" The blonde on the ground stirred, getting their attention.

"My head hurts," Naruto groaned, sitting up with his hand on his head. "What happened?" Momo jumped on his head, and made a laughing noise. As close as a fox got to one, anyways. Tekko gave a hearty laugh.

"Sorry," The blacksmith apologized. "It looks like I misunderstood something. But let's forget that. I found your scythe." Naruto heard a sensual moan in his head, no doubt from the fox.

"Uh yeah... You're not going to hit me again, are you?" Tekko laughed awkwardly.

"No no. I'm not going to do that. I'll even give you a discount for the items." Paying for the weapons, Naruto quickly walked away. "Come again...if you still want to. Look, I hope that this little incident doesn't affect future business. I'll also appreciate you not telling anyone about this. I got a reputation to uphold." Naruto gave the man a fake glare, but it still made Tekko nervous. Tenten quickly sneaked up behind Naruto and hugged the boy.

"Thanks for saving me, Naruto-kun. Come back anytime." It took a while for the action to register in his head. Friendly physical contact wasn't something he was used to, but it didn't stop the blush from forming on his face. He left the store with the same confused look on his face

"That was weird," Naruto mumbled. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. This was interrupted by the growling of his stomach. "I'm going to Ichiraku's to clear my head." The boy walked to the ramen bar. As Naruto entered the room, he saw a familiar platinum blonde. "Ino?"

"Huh?" Ino asked. The girl looked back, and saw Naruto standing at the entrance. "Oh, it's you." Teuchi appeared from the back, and noticed the blonde.

"Ah," he said. "It's good to see you, Naruto. You want the usual?" Naruto nodded. "Ayame, Naruto's here. You know what he wants."

"Got it," Ayame called back. Naruto sat down next to Ino, not that he cared whether she wanted him there or not. No one could interrupt his ramen high.

"Naruto," Ino said. "Why is your forehead all red?" Naruto blanked, remembering Tekko's "rage."

"Oh, just some accident," Naruto replied, making Ino scoff. Ayame set down a bowl for Naruto before going back to make some more.

"Enjoy, Naruto-kun," Ayame said. "The rest will be out shortly." She leaned on the counter to watch the boy eat. As the blonde went on his rampage, Ayame giggled. "Did anyone ever tell you that you look cute doing that?" Naruto stopped.

"What did you sa-"

"Oh nothing." Ayame walked back to the kitchen, and helped her father with the food. Naruto stared at the girl, before shrugging and going back to his food.

_'Naruto,'_ Momo mumbled to herself. _'Are you that stupid?'_

Ino watched in both fascination, and disgust, as Naruto devoured bowl after bowl, of ramen. The blonde was up to 10 bowls.

"Why are you eating so fast?" she asked. "I swear, doesn't that much ramen make you sick?" Naruto paused as a sad smile came to his face.

"I eat so fast, because it's the only decent meal I can actually get." Ino raised an eyebrow. "Let's just say that not many people will let me in their stores. They sometimes chase me out with kunai and shuriken." The girl gasped. "But don't worry about it. I'm...used to it."

"I can't believe you can say that. That's kinda sad." Naruto forced his sad smile to look more cheerful.

"I told you, you don't have to worry about me. Let's just say that I was born at the wrong place, at the wrong time." Ino was wondering why and how he was able to say that.

"Seriously, I have never met anyone like you before. You act so carefree." Naruto finished his food, and paid for it.

"Yeah. Yeah I am. See you, Ino. Thanks for the talk." Naruto walked out of the ramen bar.

"Come again," Teuchi and Ayame said in unison.

_'What are you gonna do now?_' Momo asked, as they exited the restaurant. Naruto stretched his arms.

"I'm gonna turn in for today. I'm pretty tired." The blonde shunshined to his hut, for some well needed rest.

(At night, while Naruto is sleeping)

"Muhahahaha!" Momo yelled, as she swung her new scythe around. She cut up the trees, and any unfortunate wild animals that went in her way. "So this is the rush Shinigami-sama feels. I'm going to have to thank Naruto-kun for buying this for me!"

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><p>Chapter 7 done, hope you tolerate it.<p>

It was pretty much a filler, that interacts with some of the females of Konoha. Also, it's still the day of the team placements, if people still don't know. I wanted a Kusari-gama, since I remember my first time watching Deadliest Warrior, and it was Ninja vs Spartan. I remembered the weapon from that. As for the scythe, that was for Momo. Also, Naruto isn't always so carefree. You can say it's a mask, but not really.

Review/Flame


	8. Real Genin Test

Chapter 8 up, hope you like it.

To Kurogane7 & Leaf Ranger: I am not good at describing weapons, so think of Hattori Hanzo(Sengoku Musou)'s weapon, and think of how Kratos(God of War)'s chains extend. Also think of how Hei(Darker than BLACK) is able to throw a small sword tied at the end by a strong cord, and safely wrap it around someone(Right before he kills them).

Last chapter for poll. Too many ties, and I don't know what to do with that. Also, Naruto will learn Tsuga.

Disclaimer:I don't own Naruto

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><p>"Where are they?" Sakura asked to no one in particular. She was the only one in the training ground. "I expected Kakashi-sensei to be late, but Sasuke-kun?" At that moment, her stomach growled, and she hung her head. "I'm so hungry."<p>

"I'm here," three people said at the same time. Sasuke walked towards the others, Naruto jumped out of the forest, and Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke.

"Why are you all late?" Sakura exclaimed. The three boys shook their hands in defense.

"I got lost on the road of life," they replied, before looking at each other in surprise. "What did you say? Stop copying me. I said stop it!" The pink haired girl watched, as the three repeatedly copied each others sentences.

"By the way," Sasuke said. "Why did you come out of the forest?" The blonde tilted his head.

"Why? Didn't I tell you? I live in the forest. In fact, I've been sitting in that tree for a while now." He pointed at a nearby tree. Everyone looked at him with curiosity "I'll tell you some other time. Let's just get on with the training." Kakashi eye smiled, and stepped forward.

"Yes," he started. "First of all, I should congratulate you for passing the first test." The three gave the Jounin looks of confusion. "I'm guessing you don't know that the first test, the one where you got those headbands, was to weed out the people unfit to be ninjas. And after that, the remaining kids who pass are put into a team consisting of 3 Genin, and one Jounin instructor, where they have to do another test." The Jounin provided two bells that were tied with strings. "And this is the test. Get these bells from me, and you pass."

"But there are only two bells," Sakura noted. "How will we all pass?" Kakashi tied the bells to his belt and gave an eye-smile.

"Oh. Well the person who can't get a bell...goes back to the Academy." He smirked when he saw his cute little Genin tense up from surprise. He set the timer. "In this test, you can you use weapons. But without the intent to kill, you won't succeed. You've got until noon to get the bells. The person who doesn't get a bell, will be tied to a log, while the others eat bentos right in front him/her." He took out two boxes, and set them on logs. The three groaned, now realizing why they weren't allowed to eat. "Oh and about this test. It has a failure rate of over 66%. Begin!" The three Genin spread apart, hiding themselves in the trees. Kakashi looked around, unable to see their figures. _'Well, they got the hiding part right,'_ he thought. _'Let's see how this goes.'_ Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura regrouped, after finding each other.

"So how are we going to beat him?" Naruto asked. "He's a Jounin." Sakura pumped her fist.

"Sasuke-kun can beat Kakashi-sensei all by himself," she insisted. "Isn't that right, Sasuke-kun?" The raven haired boy ignored Sakura, and thought up a strategy.

"How about this?" he said. "Naruto. Can you try distracting Kakashi-sensei long enough?" The blonde nodded. "Okay, then here's what we'll do." Sasuke relayed his plan two the two, telling them exactly what to do.

"Got it," Naruto whispered, breaking away from the two. He brought his hands to a cross. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" a dozen copies of the blonde appeared. "Spread out, guys." In a blur, all of the clones left the original. "Now let's see where you are, Kakashi-sensei. Mori Kokei(Forest Sight) no jutsu." A vision of Kakashi hiding behind a tree replaced his sight. Naruto zoomed out, looking for a landmark, which was a stump. "Found him."

Kakashi jumped out of the way, when random shuriken began raining down on him. He brought out kunai to reflect the weapons.

"Hm?" he exclaimed. "I can't see where these are coming from. There's too many for three people... Was that Naruto?" he looked to a spot, seeing the blonde standing on a branch far away. "Are you really revealing yourself to the enemy?" His eyes widened, when Naruto disappeared, only to reappear behind Kakashi. _'Shunshin?'_ He raised his hand, catching Naruto's fist. He grabbed his hand, and pulled, shifting the boy, so Kakashi was the one behind Naruto."I guess you still have things to learn." Suddenly, another barrage of shuriken and kunai shot towards. The Jonin saw Naruto grin, before disappearing in a puff of smoke. _'Kage Bunshin! Shit! The weapons!'_ Kakashi jumped away, and reached a clearing, where he found a cross armed Naruto waiting. "I'm surprised that you know the Kage Bunshin, Naruto-kun. So, are you the original, or another copy?" Naruto shrugged.

"Maybe," he replied. "Maybe not. You have to find out." Kakashi began to reach in his pouch, making Naruto wary.

"Fine then, how about this. Ninja Fighting Lesson #1: Taijutsu." Naruto tilted his head.

"Isn't Taijutsu hand-to-hand?" Naruto whispered to himself. "Why is he reaching into his pouch?" He got his answer, when Kakashi pulled out a book titled, "Icha Icha Paradise." "Eh, Kakashi-sensei? Why'd you take out that book?" The Jonin opened the book, and began reading.

"I want to know what happens next... Well? Are you going to do anything, Cyclops-gaki?" He smirked, when he saw Naruto's eye twitch.

"I can't believe that you would say that, you Scarecrow(Kakashi=Scarecrow). You know, you are really getting on my nerves." The blonde rushed the Jounin, in a full frontal attack. Each punch and kick he made, Kakashi would catch, and push away. Soon, Naruto found himself punching air. Kakashi was behind him, with his hands in a tiger seal.

"Don't let your enemy get behind you, idiot." From their hiding spots. Sasuke and Sakura's eyes widened.

_'That's... a seal for Katon(Fire Release) Ninjutsu!'_ Sakura thought in surprise. "Run away, Naruto! You're gonna get killed!" Kakashi turned his head towards the pink haired girl.

"Oh, so that's where Sakura was... Now where was I? Oh yeah!" Kakashi cleared his throat, as his eyes lit up. "Konohagakure Hiden Taijutsu Ōgi(Konohagakure's Most Secret and Sacred Technique)!" Naruto felt something enter a place where the sun don't shine. "Sennen Goroshi(One Thousand Years of Death!" Kakashi watched in amusement, as Naruto flew in the air, holding his bottom. In her hiding spot, Sakura held a deadpan face. A small blush adorned her face.

"...That wasn't Ninjutsu," she mumbled. "It was just an ass poke. Sacred Technique, my ass." Sasuke had a similar expression. Suddenly, Naruto exploded into smoke, showing that he was a clone. Naruto shivered, as he recalled the clone's memories.

"Another clone," Kakashi whispered. He looked towards Sakura. "Let's see how the others are. He shunshined behind Sakura, before poking her shoulder. The pink haired girl turned around, and widened her eyes. She saw the image of Sasuke impaled with kunai all over his body.

"Sakura..." "Sasuke" groaned. "Please... H-Help...Me!" Sakura let out a loud scream, before fainting on the ground. Kakashi sighed, and dispelled the illusion.

"Ninja Fighting Lesson #2: Genjutsu," he droned,looking at Sakura's sleeping figure. "...I may have gone too far." Naruto and Sasuke heard Sakura's scream, and guessed that Kakashi used Genjutsu on her. Now, they had to find her. "That leaves Naruto, and Sasuke. I have to find them." He disappeared in a Shunshin, as Naruto and Sasuke arrived. They found Sakura lying on the ground. She was shivering.

"Wake her up," Sasuke said. "I'll go see if I can find Kakashi." Naruto nodded, and shook Sakura awake.

"Huh?" Sakura asked, waking up. "Where am I?" She saw Naruto sitting beside her. "Naruto? I thought I saw you get ass poked by Kakashi-sensei." Naruto's eye twitched, remembering the feeling.

"Please don't ever bring that up again," Naruto grumbled. "Now get up, and let's find Sasuke." The pink haired girl tilted her head, before standing up. She followed Naruto as they looked for the Uchiha.

Sasuke was jumping from tree to tree looking for Kakashi. He saw him at a clearing, reading his book. He heard perverted giggles coming from the adult.

"Found him," Sasuke said, throwing several kunai at Kakashi. The man noticed, and jumped out of the way. He looked at where the projectiles were thrown, and found Sasuke. "Crap, he knows where I am. Guess I have no choice but to fight." He jumped, and went through seals. He ended in a tiger seal. "Katon: Goukakyuu(Great Fireball) no jutsu!" Kakashi's eyes widened, as a large ball of flames rushed towards him. The man barely got out of the way, escaping "death by fire."

"What the hell is it with these kids, and high level Jutsu?" he wondered. "Just how much chakra do they have?" Sasuke watched, as Kakashi disappeared. He looked around, searching for the Jonin.

"Where is he?" Sasuke asked, as he turned around. "Left...Right... Front... Behind...Above..." Suddenly, hands grabbed his legs. He saw Kakashi's head eye smiling at him

"Under! Doton: Shinju Zanshu(Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation) no Jutsu!" Sasuke found himself buried in the ground, with his head showing. Kakashi appeared in front of him squatting. "Ninja Fighting Lesson #3: Ninjutsu. Well clearly, you are a_head_ of Sakura. Naruto, you might be equal with." Sasuke gnashed his teeth as Kakashi made fun if his situation. "Well, I have to find Naruto." He watched as Kakashi left.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called, as he landed right in front of the boy. Sakura followed. He almost laughed, seeing Sasuke trapped in his favorite jutsu. "Ah! It looks like you _head_ed into battle, Uchiha." The ebony haired boy growled. "Don't be so hot-_head_ed." Naruto pulled Sasuke out of his hole. "So did Kakashi-sensei do that?" Sasuke reluctantly nodded. "Let's go find him. I got something I wanted to try." Naruto took out a sealing scroll, and unsealed his newly bought Kusari-gama. The other two nodded, and they set off.

"Where are they?" Kakashi asked, as he landed where the test began. He looked at the timer. "Only thirty minutes left. After that, they fail." He was surprised, when chains wrapped around his hand. He saw Naruto holding the other end of the weapon with a grin. "Ah? So you have something like this? You surprise me, Naruto, but you won't be able to keep me tied." Kakashi unwrapped himself, and threw several projectiles at the blonde. Naruto retracted his weapon, and jumped out of the way. He used the blade to knock the weapons away. "Shuriken Kage Bunshin(Shuriken Shadow Clone) no jutsu!" Naruto watched as one shuriken turned into a wall of projectiles. Without anywhere to run to, Naruto went through seals.

"Doton: Doryuheki(Earth Style Wall)!" He yelled, slamming his hands on the ground. A slab of earth rose from the ground, protecting Naruto from the shuriken. Kakashi's eye showed surprise. Naruto walked away from his protection with a cocky grin.

"So you are able to use Ninjutsu after all," Kakashi droned. "I was getting worried that you couldn't do anything like that." _'Doton? I don't remember Minato-sensei or Kushina-san having Doton affinity.'_ "Let's see how you fare against this. Raiton: Raiju Hashiri(Lightning Release: Lightning Beast Running) no Jutsu. Naruto watched, as lightning surrounded Kakashi, and was turned into the shape of a hound. Naruto cursed, and ran away. The hound followed Naruto, wherever he went. "With this jutsu," Kakashi explained. "I can shape my lightning into a hound, and control it. It's a very useful jutsu, if you ask me." Meanwhile, Naruto was thinking up a plan.

_'Shit. What do I do against a Raiton Jutsu?'_ He heard Momo's voice sound in his head.

_'Use Futon Jutsu,'_ she advised. _'Lightning is weak against Wind.'_ Seeing as that was his only option right now, Naruto shrugged, and faced the lightning hound.

"Futon: Kami Oroshi(Wind Release: Godly Wind from the Mountain)!" Naruto extended his hands, and a vortex of wind blasted towards the hound. The beast was torn to shreds, as soon as the attack hit.

_'So he also has Futon affinity,'_ Kakashi noted. _'I guess he does take after Minato-sensei.'_ "I'm impressed, Naruto. You did a good job." Just before he could do another jutsu, more chains appeared, and wrapped themselves around Kakashi's hands. The bladed parts of the sickle, cutting into his abdomen. The Jonin found two Kage Bunshins, pulling the chains, so his hands were outstretched. _'What's he gonna do?'_

"Now!" Naruto yelled. Sakura and Sasuke rushed out of their hiding spots, and charged Kakashi. Another Kage Bunshin joined the two. After the chains retracted, Sakura started with kicking the Jonin in the stomach, making him double over. Sasuke continued, with uppercutting Kakashi, sending him in the air. The Bunshin kicked Kakashi higher, while the original jumped on his head, for a boost. Finally, Naruto soared above Kakashi, and drop kicked the man. The kick sent Kakashi on the ground.

Kakashi woke up, hearing the three Genin eat the bentos. He found himself tied against the log. Naruto grinned, seeing Kakashi waking up.

"Sorry about tying you up," he apologized. "Well, I gave the bells to Sasuke and Sakura. Does that mean I'm going back to the Academy?" He looked confused, when Kakashi chuckled. "What are you laughing about?"

"You're not going back," Kakashi explained. "You see, the true objective of this test, is to see how well the three Genin, can work together. And from what I saw in that last move, you three work good together. Therefore, you pass." The three were surprised when Kakashi easily cut his way out of his binds. He walked towards a stone slab shaped eerily like a kunai. "You see this stone?" he asked. "This is a memorial for the proud shinobi that were killed in battle. All the names are listed on this memorial...My team, when I was a Genin, are also listed here. My friend, Obito taught me something, from when we were kids. He told me 'Those that break the rules and regulations are scum. But those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum.' That is a rule, that you should always remember. Understand?"

"Yes," The three replied. Kakashi eye smiled at them.

"Good. Now go on. Come back here tomorrow." He watched as Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto walked away."

* * *

><p>Jinchuuriki and Ramen(I think someone already did something like this, so whoever that person is, sorry).<p>

Momo watched, as Naruto devoured bowl after bowl of ramen. She crossed her arms in annoyance.

"You eat too much ramen," she scolded. "Kami, I hope the other Jinchuuriki aren't like this.

(Suna)

A blonde girl, and a boy with make up, were standing in their house, staring at a large sphere of sand in their living room.

"He's still in there?" the blonde asked. The boy with make up shrugged.

"Yeah," he answered. "I wonder what he does there."

In the sphere, a boy with red hair was sitting in the middle, holding a bowl in his hands.

"Yes, mother," he grumbled. "I will eat more ramen for you."

(Kumo)

A dark skinned man, wearing sunglasses, and carrying 7 swords, was sitting in a ramen bar.

The man put his hand up, and sang, "Doing this thing. Isn't uncommon. Shut up now, and let's eat some ramen! Oh yeah!" A woman beside him, her blonde hair wrapped in bandages, looked at the man in annoyance.

"Please be quiet," she said, returning to her food.

(Kiri)

"Mizukage?" a man asked, opening the door to the office he found a man with messy grey hair, and a stitch like scar, running down his left eye. The man had his arms under the desk. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," the Mizukage replied.

"Then why are y-"

"I suspect you of treason. Take him away." Several ninja appeared, and dragged the man outside. As soon as they were gone, the Mizukage brought his hands up, revealing a bowl of hot ramen. "Now I can eat.

(Somewhere)

A tall man, with bright red hair, wearing an Iwa headband, was running away, with a large bowl in his hands.

"Give us back our ramen!" someone yelled from behind him. Suddenly, the ground erupted lava, making the terrain impassable. The red haired nin smiled, as he sat down to finish his food.

(Sky)

In the air, a large bubble was floating. In it, a man in blue robes, and dark hair. In his hand, was what seemed to be a pipe, several bubbles floated inside the bigger bubble, carrying either soup, or noodles.

"Safe in a bubble with all the ramen I can eat," he mused. "This is the life."

(Taki)

A girl with bright green hair, sat in a dark house, Many bowl of ramen she had...found gave a heavenly aroma that made her drool. She stretched her arms. "Can't wait to eat all this. You ready Shichibi?"

(Iwa)

A tall man clad in steam-emitting armor sat cross-legged atop a mountain. Despite the high altitude, the bowls of ramen along with himself were warmed up. The man, without a word, lowered his mask and dug into his meal while enjoying the pure beauty of the scenery.

(Konoha)

"I hope they aren't," Momo mumbled, as she and Naruto left the Ramen bar.

* * *

><p>Chapter 8 done, hope you liked it.<p>

Seriously, there are too many ties in the poll I don't know what to do with that. Vote, alright?

Review/Flame


	9. Wave Mission

Chapter 9 up, hope you like it.

By the ways, I just remembered that Hattori Hanzo's weapon is actually one large sickle tied in the end by a chain, with something like a lead ball on the other end of the chain.

Poll is done, so the girls are:

Fem. Kyuubi(now named Momo)

Fem. Haku

Hinata

Tayuya

Anko

Hanabi

Sakura

Yugito

Kurenai

And by random decision of blind folded paper picking, Kurotsuchi. So yeah.

Gender Confused: A little harsh flame, but whatever. I did say that the chapter would most likely suck. Anyways thanks for the corrections.

Lednacek: Also harsh, but still whatever. Thanks for the corrections, and you forget. Naruto spent 4 years in the forest. As for him wanting to be a shinobi, would you want to do the same thing everyday, for your whole life in a forest?

Disclaimer: Naruto is not owned by me. I'm just a kid, who has nothing else to do, in Summer Vacation due to my very low stamina. Please excuse the following Metal Gear thing.

* * *

><p>(Months Later)<p>

"This is Solid Fox," Naruto said, speaking into a communicator. He was hiding behind some bushes. Staring at the menacing figure. "I see the target in front of me." He heard some buzzing from the other line.

"Liquid Hawk here," Sasuke replied. "Same with me. Subject in range of attack. Ready anytime." A second buzz sounded from the device.

"Solidus Blossom reporting in," Sakura said. "Everyone is in position. Should we attack, Big Dog?" Kakashi's voice came up.

"Go ahead you three," he ordered. "The target could run away at any minute." He heard everyone say "affirmative." Naruto stood still, waiting, before he decided to pounce. He landed on the target, momentarily rolling on the ground. The two wrestled, with the capture drawing blood from Naruto. The blonde grunted in pain. Sasuke dropped in, helping the blonde with the target."Hold him down," Kakashi advised. He heard cursing as a response, making him sweatdrop. Sasuke managed to pin the target down, but suffered some blood loss in his hands.

"Do it now!" Sasuke exclaimed, wincing in pain. "Before he gets away, Uzumaki." Naruto nodded, and set his hands on the captor.

"Kosoku(Restraint) no Jutsu!" Naruto called, sending his chakra into his capture. He saw the figure shake, before going limp. He put his hands up to the device. "Target captured, Big Dog. Ribbon on right ear, confirming it's Tora." Sakura landed next to the two boys. "And where the hell were you?" Sakura looked away, innocently.

"I was supervising," she replied. She turned to the raven haired boy. "Anyways, Sasuke-kun. After this, do you want to go eat lunch with me?"

"No," Sasuke deadpanned. "Naruto, let's be done with this mission already. I need to train." The blonde nodded, and the two started their walk to the Hokage Tower. "I swear. Is there a jutsu to make her lose interest in me?"

"You could always use Henge to make your face ugly," Naruto suggested. Sasuke chuckled.

"Maybe. You coming, Sakura?" The pink haired girl looked up, and ran to catch up with her teammates "Where's Kakashi-sensei, anyways?" Naruto grinned.

"Probably reading his porn again," he said, before taking out a book. "Or maybe not." He flipped the cover, revealing the words "Icha Icha: Harem Knights." He flipped the book open. "This book is pretty good, actually. Even the smut parts. Hey Sasuke, look." He showed the page to the raven haired boy. One look at the book, and Sasuke almost fell down. He hid his nosebleed.

"What the hell, Naruto, I almost let go of Tora!"

"Don't be like that. Besides, Tora is still restrained...Want to see it again?"

"Yes." Sakura stepped forward.

"Wait, if you have Kakashi-sensei's book, then what's he reading?" Naruto grinned again. Kakashi was walking towards the tower, reading his book, when it suddenly disappeared. On that day, a scream of anguish was heard across Konoha. Only one clone witnessed it, and thought it good.

(Hokage Tower)

"Mission complete," Kakashi said, in a sad voice. "We've brought Tora." Sarutobi looked at the Jonin in curiosity. Naruto stepped up to Kakashi, while Sasuke handed the now mobile cat to the Daimyo's Wife, Madam Shijimi. The big woman with big hair immediately started smothering the cat, making everyone else pity the feline.

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto called, making the Jonin look at him. His eyes widened when he saw the book Naruto held up. "This book is pretty good, Sensei. Mind if I keep it?" Everyone was surprised to hear a kid asking to keep a smut book. "In fact, tell me where you get these."

"Uh...You get them at the bookstore?" Kakashi replied. "But I don't think you can by them by yourself."

"Oh, I have my ways." Madam Shijimi paid for the mission, and left. "Anyways, Hokage-jiji. Can we get a better mission?" Sarutobi looked through a scroll.

"Well," he said. "There's babysitting an elder's grandson, shopping in the neighborhood village, help with the potato digging, or-" They were interrupted by Shijimi calling for Tora. "Or catching Tora again." Naruto crossed his arms.

"Momo!" he exclaimed. A blur erupted from his hood. Soon, the Bijuu came back, dragging the cat with her. "Thanks Momo. Come on, Jiji give me a challenge. Like a C-rank, or something. Babysitting and shopping isn't fit for a ninja like me." Sasuke scoffed, while Sakura laughed. Iruka stood up.

"Don't be stupid," he exclaimed. "You three are just rookies. You, like the other teams, start off with simple have to work your way up.

"Come on. The missions we get are so crappy. I mean seriously. Catching a cat? Painting a fence. Although I do get ninja exercise from catching the cat." He was interrupted by Kakashi dropping his fist on the blonde's head.

"Sorry about him," The scarecrow apologized. "He gets really excited." Sarutobi cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention.

"Naruto-kun," he said. "It seems I have to explain to you what these duties are all about." He blew a smoke ring from his pipe. "Listen. Everyday, Konohagakure gets missions from babysitting... to assassination. Each request is written down on lists, and divided into A, B, C, D ranking based on difficulty. There's also S-ranking, but those are rarely given. Anyways, the village is also divided based on skill. Starting with me to the Jou, Chuu, and Ge-nin(Upper, Middle, Lower Ninja) The missions are then handed out by us at the top to ninjas based on their abilities. And if the duty is completely successful." Shijimi handed another payment for Tora. "We receive payment from the client. You guys recently became Genin. D-rank missions are perfect for you." He looked up, to see Kakashi and Naruto, who looked like they were having a deep and meaningful discussion.

"...And the part where he was saved by the lead knight, who turned out to be-"

"Oi! Listen!" The two scratched their heads in apology, while Sakura, Sasuke and Momo rolled their eyes.

"Hokage-jiji," Naruto droned. "Why are you lecturing me? I'm not a snot nosed brat like when we first met." Kakashi sighed.

_'I'm gonna get in trouble later because of him,'_ he thought. But he found it surprising when he saw Sarutobi and Iruka smile.

"Okay," Sarutobi said, stunning everyone present in the room. "If you want it that much, then I'll give you a C-rank. A simple protection of a certain individual."

"Who is it?" Sakura asked, surprised. "A Feudal Lord?" Naruto chimed in.

"Maybe a princess?" he suggested. _'I bet it's a pretty princess full of kindness, and is beautiful beyond comprehension. Like-'_

"What the hell is this?" a man's voice slurred. Everyone turned around, and saw something they didn't expect. Instead of a princess, it was a grey haired bespectacled man with a mustache/beard combo. He wore a sleeveless v-neck shirt with an obi, pants and a pair of sandals. He also carried a towel around his neck and wore a pointed hat on his head. "These are my bodyguards? Their just a bunch of snot nosed kids. Especially the blondie. You only got one eye." Naruto's mouth twitched into an evil grin. The old man soon found a lead ball tied by a chain going through the wall right next to his face. Kakashi put his hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Killing isn't protecting," he scolded. The old man straightened his back.

"P-Please do-don't hurt me. A-anyways I am the super expert bridge builder Tazuna. I expect you to completely protect me until I get back to my country, and complete the bridge."

"Meet at the gate in 2 hours," Kakashi ordered. He looked at the wall. "I'll pay for the hole, Hokage-sama." The old man put his hand up.

"No need, Kakashi-kun," he assured. "Anyways, dismissed." Everyone started to walk off. "Except you, Naruto-kun. I have something for you." The blonde stayed behind, and walked up to the old man. He was surprised, when two bags were thrown at him. "That's for you, Naruto-kun. Open it." The blonde looked inside, and found it full of ryo.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"You actually completed 2 S-rank missions," Sarutobi explained. He held up two fingers. "One was defeating a traitor(Mizuki), and the other was protecting a village secret(Fuin no Sho). Therefore this is the payment." The boy looked at the bags in uncertainty. "Is there something wrong?" He was surprised, when Naruto gave back one of the bags.

"Give that to Iruka-sensei. He helped me, so he should get half." It warmed the two's heart to see Naruto's kindness. Iruka gladly took his share and bowed his head in gratitude.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun."

"Do you want anything else," Sarutobi asked. The blonde thought for a while, before whispering something in his ears. The Hokage looked at the Genin incredulously. "Why do you want that?" Naruto whispered again. "Fine" Secretly, he handed Naruto a book. The blonde made his fox grin, before disappearing in a Shunshin.

(Two hours later)

Naruto threw the lead ball part of his kusarigama at a tree, pulling down the person on it. Kakashi landed on his back with a loud thud.

"There you are," he said. "You wouldn't want to be late for your team's first C-rank mission would you?" Kakashi waved his arms around in defense.

"I was just waiting for someone to notice me," he replied. He stood up, and did a headcount. Everyone was present. "Is everyone ready?" Sasuke and Sakura nodded. Tazuna took a drink of his sake. "Well then, let's go." The gates opened.

"Wait a minute!" a voice exclaimed, making Naruto stop in his tracks. Everyone turned around, and saw a red head dressed in a black coat, and shorts. She looked a bit older than the Genin.

"And who are you?" Kakashi asked curiously. Naruto stepped forward.

"Momo?" he asked. "What are you doing here?" The Bijuu stepped up to Naruto, and put him in a headlock.

"I'm coming with you," she explained.

"But you're a civilian," Sasuke said. "I don't really want someone else to protect." Momo scoffed, and let Naruto fall to the ground. She used shunshin to appear behind Sasuke with her wakizashi to his neck.

"Listen, Uchiha. I don't think you should underestimate me." She pressed the blade further. "After all, I taught Naruto all he knows." This news stunned everyone except for Tazuna. She appeared next to Naruto again. "Yeah, surprising, isn't it? So how about it? Can I come?" Kakashi put his hands on his chin, and shrugged.

"Sure. Let's go." The team plus Tazuna and Momo waited for the gates to open so that the Genin could have their first steps outside of the village. Naruto waved his hand as they passed Kotetsu and Izumo. Kotetsu had long, spiky black hair and dark eyes, he also wore a bandage over his nose and had a light-coloured marking on his chin. Izumo had brown hair, and dark eyes. His hair was combed down anded his right eye. He wore his Forehead Protector like a bandanna along with the standard Konoha shinobi outfit which went all the way up to his chin.

(Later)

As Sakura and Sasuke were taking in the countryside view, the rest were conversing with each other.

"By the way," Naruto said to Momo. "When I got up this morning, some trees were cut down, and some of the animals were cut up. Do you know anything about that?" Momo tensed, and put up an innocent face.

"No, of course not," she replied. Her eyes refused to meet his. "Anko was probably training again." Naruto closed his eyes, and crossed his arms.

"Really? Cause I could have sworn I heard someone laughing maniacally, and yell something about 'Shinigami-sama.'" Momo shook her hands in front of her in defense. It was then, that they noticed a puddle in the middle of the road. Naruto and Momo saw Sasuke looking at the puddle also. They nodded, and Naruto dropped an exploding tag in the water. "So anyways, I had to clear the path, since the ground was full of- Baku(Explode)!" The puddle exploded, making two figures jump out. They wore an air-mask, and large clawed gauntlets. They also wore camouflage pants, and Kirigakure Forehead Protectors with horns on it. They used their Shuriken Chain to wrap Kakashi.

"One down," The two horned man growled as the two pulled on their chains. Everyone watched the Jonin being ripped to pieces. Sakura, Sasuke and Tazuna were clearly panicking, while Naruto and Momo remained calm.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed. The two assassins appeared behind Naruto.

"Two down." The two were interrupted from their second execution by the sudden back kicks that Naruto and Momo gave. The assassins were momentarily stunned. They used the chance to gain distance from the two.

"Sasuke," Naruto said. "When I tell you, pin the chains with your kunai." He saw the Uchiha nod. "Alright, Momo. Let's go." The two dashed off, towards the Kiri-nin, with their new weapons out. "You're not the only one who can use chains." The threw the sickle, and let it set on the one horned man's shoulder. With a yank, a deep cut was made, making the man scream.

"You'll pay for that," the enemy screamed. "Meizu!" The other nodded, and they launched their chains towards the blonde. Momo used her scythe as a target, so that the chains were tied to it. It was then, that Naruto gave the signal. They saw Sasuke jump in the air, and successfully pin the chains together with a kunai. The projectile stuck to a tree. "It's stuck," the man exclaimed, pulling the chains. The chains broke, and they quickly dashed off. One targeted Naruto, while the other targeted Tazuna. Naruto ducked, as the man tried to pierce him with the gauntlet, but he was only able to scratch his hands. The blonde went on his hands, and kicked the man towards the sky. Sakura stepped towards Tazuna ready to defend the man, when Kakashi appeared, catching the man's head under his arms.

"Kakashi-sensei!" she exclaimed. "You're alive." Sasuke looked at him with a blank face.

_'...Show off,'_ he thought, looking at the "remains" of his body on the floor. On the ground, were pieces of wood, showing that the Jonin had used Kawarimi(Body Replacement). Kakashi eye smiled at his team, plus Momo.

"Good job," he said. "Everyone did so well." He turned to The blonde. "But Naruto... the claws were soaked in poison. We'll have to remove it quickly." Naruto looked at the green substance on his hand. He winced at the now noticeable pain. "You have to open the wound, and release the poisoned blood." Momo approached her tenant, and took his hand into hers. She brought the wound to her lips, bit into his skin, and proceeded to suck out the poison.

"...Momo," Naruto said. "As much as I like having a girl... sucking on my body parts(Cue perverted laugh from Kakashi), this is getting a bit awkward" Momo lifted her head, and deposited the contaminated blood on the grass. "Oh, so that's what you were doing." The bijuu cleaned the wound, and smacked his arm.

"What the hell did you think I was doing?" she asked. Naruto blushed and scratched his head. "Ero-gaki." Sasuke and Sakura snickered, causing Naruto glare at them. Kakashi interrupted their moment by clearing his throat.

"These two," Kakashi said, tying up the enemies. "They're shinobi from Kirigakure. Meizu and Gozu. The Oni Kyodai(Demon Brothers), according to the Bingo Book." He turned to Tazuna. "Tazuna-san, we need to have a talk." Knowing it was coming, the old man sighed. He positioned his hat over his face in defeat.

"I really didn't want this to happen," he mumbled. "But it looks like I have no choice. This job, is most likely outside of your duties. I posted the mission as a simple escort job, but in actuality, there's this dangerous man wanting my head. You've probably heard his name before." Everyone leaned in. "It's the wealthy shipping magnate, Gatou." Kakashi seemed to know the mentioned person, judging from the stunned look his eye gave off.

"Are you serious?" he exclaimed. "The Gatou of the Gatou Company? He's said to be the world's few extremely wealthy people!" Tazuna nodded.

"Yes... Officially, he runs a large shipping company." His eyes darkened. "But secretly, he sells drugs, and other illegal items, using ninja's and gang members to take over business and countries. He's a very nasty man. It was a year ago, when he set his eyes on Nami no Kuni(Wave Country). Through money and violence, he quickly took control of the country's shipping industry. But he has one fear... He fears the completion of my bridge." Sakura thought about it.

"I see... Since you're building the bridge, you're in the way. That means the two Kiri-nin were hired by Gatou." Kakashi stepped forward.

"But what I don't get, is if you knew that ninjas were after you, why did you hide that fact when you hired us?"

"Nami no Kuni is a super poor. Even the Daimyo has no money. We didn't have enough money for an expensive B-rank mission. If you quit this mission, I will definitely killed. But," He looked up, and smiled. "It's okay. If I die, nothing much will happen, except for my cute 10 year old grandson crying everyday! Also, my daughter will live a sad life, hating Konoha forever! But it won't be your fault!" Everyone looked at the bridge builder blankly.

"I guess we have no choice," Kakashi deadpanned. "My team plus the girl will protect you at least until you get back to your country."

_'I win,'_ Tazuna thought blankly. "Well, let's go! To my super bridge!" Everyone slowly followed, while the old man happily marched towards his village."

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><p>Chapter 9 done, hope you liked it.<p>

So yeah. The Solid Fox, Liquid Hawk, Solidus Blossom, and Big Dog were from Metal Gear's Solid Snake, Liquid Snake, Solidus Snake, and Big Boss. I would've used Naked Snake, but Naked Dog doesn't sound right.

Momo really makes me think of a red haired/eyed Tomoyo or Kyou.

Review/Flame


	10. Demon of the Mist

Chapter 10 up, hope you like it.

Welcome back to Kitsune no Me, where my ideas are made up, and the reasons don't matter. That right. Just like what the 2nd man on the moon said, the reason's don't matter.(Whose Line Is It Anyways reference)

I think I messed up on Hanabi's age. She should have been 4, and now she's 7, three years later.

darkassassin619: Thank you for that. That was awesome to see.

yukicrewger2: I'm making it so both of them will join Konoha, but I'm having a little trouble with that.

Disclaimer I don't own Naruto.

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><p>"We'll be there soon," the man in the boat said, as they sailed under Tazuna's unfinished bridge. Team 7 plus Momo and Tazuna boarded the boat so no one working for Gatou would find them. They had to be very quiet. "Tazuna...It looks like we've avoided detection so far, but just in case, we'll take the route that has vegetation. It will make it harder to spot us." The bridge builder nodded, and the boatman continued to paddle. The passengers looked at Tazuna's unfinished bridge in awe.<p>

"This is my work," Tazuna whispered wistfully. "My country's last and only chance at freedom from Gatou. I really hope that I can get this bridge done." Naruto looked at the old man with pity. He never did like the idea of tyranny. Perhaps he could convince Kakashi to go through with the mission. Soon, they reached a small port. Everyone except the boatman exited the boat.

"This is it for me. Goodbye and good luck."

"Super thanks." They waved as the man paddled away. "Okay, let's get to my home as quick as possible. Don't want to run into anymore ninjas working for Gatou."

"Yes, yes," Kakashi droned, still gloomy at how Tazuna was able to trick him into continuing the mission. _'If we get attacked again, it will surely not be a Chunin, but a Jonin.'_ They walked on a trail towards Tazuna's house. "So Momo-san." The Bijuu looked up from Naruto's book. "I was wondering why you didn't join the Shinobi ranks. If you say that you taught Naruto, then you should be as strong as him. Maybe even stronger." The blonde disguised his laughter by coughing, earning him a smack from his prisoner.

"I don't want to be held down," she explained ironically, making everyone curious. "If I were to join the Shinobi ranks, then someday, I would be sent on a mission to seduce my enemies for information. I'd rather not do that. Plus, most male ninjas look down on women. I don't like those kinds of people." Kakashi nodded, understanding her reasons. It was natural in the Shinobi world to teach women in the arts of seduction. "I'd rather stay with the fishcake, here." Naruto scowled, making Momo laugh.

"So I'm guessing you two are lovers?" Naruto and Momo tensed up, with Naruto almost letting go of his Ichi Icha. The Jonin grinned under his mask.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto demanded. His face held a slight blush. "She's a teacher, and a friend." Momo nodded in agreement. Naruto looked down, and noticed some rustling in the bushes, making him take out a kunai. Kakashi waved his hands in front of him.

"Ah! No need for weapons! I was just kidding." He stopped, when the blonde threw it at a bush. A squeal came from the leaves, and a rat jumped out. "Oh. It was just a rat. Naruto-kun, I don't think you should waste weapons." _'So he felt the presence too,'_ he thought. The Jonin looked at Momo, who was staring at the bushes.

"Don't scare me like that!" Tazuna exclaimed. "I'm an old man, remember?" Naruto shrugged, and the group continued walking.

"Naruto," Sakura said. "You shouldn't give our client a heart attack. Even if he is an old drunk who loves the world 'super.'" Tazuna scoffed, grumbling about "young people." It was then that Naruto drew another kunai, and threw it at another bush. "Naruto, what did I say?" The blonde ignored her, and pulled out a scared white-furred rabbit. "You almost killed a cute rabbit?"

"Sorry, lil' rabbit," he apologized, hugging the animal. Suddenly, he realized something. "Wait. You have white fur. It's Summer, so you should have brown fur already. That means..." He and Momo heard something in the air. It was the sound of something spinning in the air. Kakashi pushed Tazuna and Sakura down.

"Hit the deck!" he yelled, as everyone ducked down. They watched as a large Zanbato impaled the tree next to them. On the hilt, was a tall and noticeably muscular man with pale skin, short spiky black hair, brown eyes, and small eyebrows. He was wearing bandages like a mask over the bottom half of his face, and had his Forehead Protector sideways on his head. The man was shirtless, with his chest only covered by a belt. He wore baggy pants with a striped pattern and mimetic wrist-warmers extending up to his elbows, with matching leg-warmers. He looked at the Genin team like a predator.

_'Hm...'_ he thought. _'No wonder Meizu and Gozu were defeated. Konoha's Copy Ninja, Sharingan no Kakashi.'_ Everyone stood up, and stared at the man on the hilt of the Zanbato. Kakashi's eyes steeled.

"Well well," he said. "If it isn't the Kirigakure's(Hidden Mist) Nuke nin(Missing-nin), Momochi Zabuza." He turned towards his Genin. "Everyone stay back. This one's on a whole other level." Everyone nodded, and stayed back. Kakashi reached his hand to his Forehead Protector, just above his left eye. _'Looks like there's no other choice,_' he thought. _'I'm going to have to use _that.' Zabuza looked towards Kakashi.

"It appears you really are, Sharingan no Kakashi," he noted, catching the attention of the Uchiha. "Sorry, but...the old man is mine." Everyone felt the tension, as if they could touch it. Sasuke was too busy registering the mention of his bloodline in conjunction with his teacher.

"Surround and protect our client. You got that guys?" He lightly lifted his headband. "Listen to me when I say do NOT enter the fight. That's the teamwork here." Zabuza readied himself. "Zabuza, first..." He fully lifted his Hitai-ate, revealing an eye with a red iris. They saw three tomoe, surrounding his pupil. Sasuke was surprised to see his family's, Kekkei Genkai(Bloodline Limit) in Kakashi's left eye. "...fight me." Zabuza chuckled.

"So I already get to see the famous Sharingan. I'm honored." Kakashi scowled.

"The Sharingan(Copy Wheel Eye)," Sasuke mumbled. "It's said to be able to read and defeat all types of Gen, Tai, and Ninjutsu(boy, illusion, ninja skills). It-" He was interrupted, when Naruto slapped his back.

"Why are you telling the enemy the specs of your family's Kekkei Genkai?" he asked. The raven haired boy realized what he was doing, and stopped.

"R-right. Guess I was caught up in the moment."

"I already know about the Sharingan," Zabuza intervened. "The scary thing about the Sharingan, is the fact that it can copy an opponent's Jutsu once they see it. When I was a member of Kirigakure's assassin team, I kept a handbook. It included info on you. And this is what it said: 'The man who has copied over 1000 jutsu, Hatake Kakashi." Zabuza squatted, and put his hands of the Zanbato's hilt. "Now let's end this talking. I've got an old man to kill...is what I'd like to say. It looks like you're dying first." He landed on the water, pulling the sword with him. He latched the sword on his belt, and raised one hand in the air with a half ram real, with the other in front chest with in the other half of the seal.

"What's he doing?" Sakura wondered, as they waited. Chakra and water spiraled around him.

_'He's releasing a high amount of Chakra,'_ Naruto noted.

"Ninpo(Ninja Technique): Kirigakure no jutsu." Everyone watched, as Zabuza vanished in the mist that surrounded the area. Kakashi looked around, searching for the Nuke-nin.

"He'll probably come after me first," he whispered to the others. "Momochi Zabuza. As a member of Kirigakure, he was known as an expert in silent killing. You don't notice, until you're already dead. I can't use the Sharingan perfectly, so you guys be careful. Everyone nodded, and brought out a weapon. Suddenly, they heard a voice through the mist.

"Liver, Lungs, Spine, Clavicle vein, Neck vein, Brain, Kidneys, Heart," Zabuza listed maliciously. "Which one should I go after?" Everyone looked around for the man, before feeling a large pressure pressing down on them. They recognized it as Killer Intent.

"What an incredible KI," Sasuke whispered to himself. "It feels like I'll be killed if I make a single move. This could drive a man crazy." He lifted his kunai to his stomach, which Naruto noticed. "The intensity of a Jonin. It feels like my life is being squeezed. He positioned the blade towards himself. "I can't take it. I'd almost rather die now, and get it over with." Sasuke soon found Naruto holding the kunai. His face was serious.

"Don't even think about it," he scolded. Sasuke was surprised at his tone.

"He's right," Kakashi added. "I'll protect you guys, even if I die." He eye smiled at his team, Tazuna, and Momo. "I don't let my comrades die."

"We'll see about that!" Suddenly, Zabuza appeared between Tazuna, Sakura, and Sasuke. "It's over." Kakashi managed to push everyone down, and stab Zabuza with a kunai. He widened his eyes, when "Zabuza" bled water.

"Behind you!" Naruto yelled. Zabuza was rushing behind Kakashi, and bisected the Jonin. Sakura let out a scream of terror as she witnessed her teacher being bisected. It was soon replaced with relief when Kakashi dissolved like Zabuza.

_'He copied my Mizu Bunshin(Water Clone)?'_ he thought. _'He's amazing to have copied it in this mist.'_ He turned his head, to see Kakashi holding a kunai to his neck.

"Don't move," he ordered. "It's over." Zabuza grinned under his bandages, and laughed.

"Over?" he mocked. "You don't get it. There's no way yo can defeat me with your monkey-like imitation. But that was impressive of you. At that time, you had already copied my Mizu Bunshin no Justu." He referred to the moment Kakashi had told his team that he would die to protect them. "You had your clone say those words, to attract my attention while the real you hid in the mist and watched me. Nice plan. But..." The Zabuza in front of Kakashi melted into water, while another appeared Kakashi. "I'm not that easy to kill!" Before Zabuza's blade bisected Kakashi again, the Jonin ducked. The blade impaled the ground. Zabuza switched hands, and kicked Kakashi away. "Now!" he aimed for Tazuna, but was stopped by the objects on the ground. Caltrops littered the area. The team watched as Kakashi landed in water.

_'He's strong to be able to knock down Kakashi-sensei,'_ Naruto thought. _'It seems Kenjutsu and Ninjutsu aren't his only tricks.'_ Kakashi felt himself having a hard time getting up.

"Why is this water so heavy?" he asked. Zabuza shunshined on top of him.

"So I can do this," he explained. "Suiro(Water Prison) no Jutsu!" Kakashi widened his eyes, as the water rose into a sphere with Zabuza's hand inside of it. Kakashi tried to get out. "You may have been trying to escape to the water, but that was a big mistake." The Nuke-nin chuckled. "Now, I have you in my inescapable special prison." He watched as Kakashi struggled in the prison. "It makes thing tougher if you can move, you know. Now Kakashi. We can finish things later. First, I'll take care of your little team. Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!" Kakashi watched as another Zabuza rose from the water. The clone laughed, as it approached the others. Naruto and Momo summoned their, weapons

"Wearing Hitai-ate, and acting like real ninja's" Zabuza C.(Clone) said. "But you know what? A real ninja is someone who has survived numerous brushes with death. He put his hand in a seal in front of himself. "Basically...Once you're good enough to be listed in my handbook, then you can start calling yourself a ninja. You brats are not qualified to that honor." The clone disappeared, and knocked Naruto and Momo aside.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled. Zabuza C. turned to Sasuke and Sakura, not seeing "Naruto" and "Momo" lightly exploding into smoke.

"Just a gaki," Zabuza scoffed. Kakashi's consciousness was slowly fading, but he did his best to stay awake.

"You guys!" he exclaimed. "Take Tazuna-san and run away! You have no chance of beating him! As long as he's keeping me trapped in this prison, he can't move. The Bunshin can't get very far from his real body, so just run away!" Sasuke and Sakura hesitated on what to do. Surprisingly, Naruto broke the silence.

"That's not nice," he said, appearing next to his teammates with Momo. "We can't leave you alone." Sasuke stood next to the blonde, with his weapon ready. Sakura soon followed. "You said it yourself. 'Those that break the rules and regulations are scum. But those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum.'" Behind them, Tazuna smiled.

"Looks like he's not super useless, like I thought," he whispered. Naruto turned his head towards his teammates.

"Sasuke. Sakura Lend me your ear." The two looked at him in curiosity. "Listen to me carefully." He relayed his plan to the two, impressing them. "Do you understand?" They nodded their heads. Naruto grinned. "Good. Let's raise hell." Zabuza C. scoffed.

"So much arrogance," he insulted. "Do you really think you stand a chance? You guys will never grow up. Going to keep "playing" ninja, eh?" he clenched his fist. "When I...When I was your age, my hands were already soaked in blood! My nickname was 'Devil Zabuza,' you know why? Long ago, in Kirigakure, there was... a special graduation exam. The only way to become a ninja, was a fight to the death between students. People who were friends, who trained and ate together were pitted against each other, until one of them died. They were friends who helped each other and shared dreams. But 10 years ago, the exam was forced to change, after a devil appeared. Without pause, the boy slaughtered over a hundred students. That devil, who killed so many, was ME!" he rushed towards Team 7. Before he could slice anyone with his Zanbato, Momo appeared with her Chakra enforced scythe, and knocked the blade away. Sasuke jumped in the air, and unsealed a blade connected to a large ring. With a twist, three more blades unfolded, showing it to be a Fuma Shuriken.

"Fuma Shuriken(Wind Demon Shuriken)!" he yelled, throwing the weapon towards Zabuza C. The man swatted the projectile away, calling it a "useless toy." Naruto used the moment to wrap the chain of his Kusarigama around Zabuza, pinning his arms to his body. His Zanbato clattered on the ground, turning into water. Sakura and Momo ran to the Nuke-nin. The pink haired girl stabbed his chest, while the Bijuu slit his throat. Zabuza C. grunted, before melting into water. The original smirked under his mask.

"They're pretty good," he noted. "Maybe they do deserve to be called ninja. The blonde and red head, that is. They are able to make Kage Bunshin as Genin. Impressive." He watched as a clone of Naruto wrapped his chain around the still spinning Fuma Shuriken's ring, and swung it towards Zabuza. "But still foolish." he caught the shuriken in his free hand. He was surprised, when another projectile appeared. "Another Shuriken in the first's shadow? That's the Kage Shuriken(Shadow Shuriken. Not to be confused with Shuriken Kage Bunshin). But!" He jumped before the projectile could hit him. "Still not enough!" His arm was still attached to the prison. Suddenly, the Shuriken disappeared in smoke, and was replaced by Naruto, to the surprise of everyone. "Henge?" The original Naruto smirked, and threw the sickle part of his weapon at Zabuza. The Nuke-nin had no choice, but to let go of Kakashi. The kunai cut Zabuza's upper cheek. He laughed. "Hahaha! I like you, kid. Too bad I'm going to have to kill you!" He was going to throw the Fuma Shuriken, when Kakashi intercepted the blade with the metal plate on his gloves. His Sharingan spun in fury.

"Naruto," he said. "Good plan. You three have really grown up. But now, leave everything to me!"

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><p>Omake: 2 choices(You can only understand, if you've watched Kung Pow: Enter the Fist)<p>

Suddenly, the Shuriken disappeared in smoke, and was replaced by Naruto, to the surprise of everyone. "Henge?" Zabuza yelled. The clone of Naruto smirked, and threw the sickle part of his weapon at Zabuza. Time seemed to stop, as Zabuza's mind came up with option. _'Okay,'_ he thought. _'Here are my options. A: Duck the sickle, and throw the Fuma Shuriken at him, or B: Let my arm be cut, and destroy all chance of finishing my job, probably leaving me and Haku to starve.'_ The sickle sliced it's way into Zabuza's arm, cutting it off. The Nuke-nin clutched his stub. "AH! SON OF A BITCH!" _'Should've gone with A.'_

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><p>Omake 2: Dreams<p>

"Momo," Naruto said, as they got ready to sleep. "You can read my thought, right?" The bijuu nodded. "Are you able to see my dreams, too?" Momo stopped what she was doing.

"Yeah, Naruto-kun," she replied. "Sometimes I see _THOSE_ kinds of dreams. I swear, seeing that can really make someone crazy." Naruto put on a thinking face, and closed his eyes. "Why did you need to know if I could-" She saw him sleeping. Momo shrugged. "Huh. Must have passed- OH GOD!" She clutched her head, before shaking Naruto's body. "That's disgusting, Naruto-kun! Wake up! Ah! I didn't think anyone could bend that way!" Naruto smirked in his sleep. "WAKE UUUUUUUUUUUUP!"

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><p>Chapter 10 done, hope you liked it.<p>

By the way, I was trying to think of a reason for Zabuza to join Konoha, but with this chapter, I'm having trouble with that. If anyone can give me an idea, either leave it in the reviews, of PM me.

Review/Flame


	11. Tazuna's House

Chapter 11 up, hope you like it. Sorry I'm late, everyone, but school has started again. My ankle has been sprained really bad, so I'm stuck in the house.

Kurogane7: I'm just going by the manga, and I'm not sure what's right and wrong in anatomy. Sorry.

justin the constant reviewer: You really do, review a lot, so thanks. Let's see... okay. Sorry for Sakura being in the harem. I was a little relunctant about that, but she was in the top 5 in the poll I put up. I'm talking about Hanzo Hattori from Samurai Warriors (Sengoku Musou). Also, I don't think Kiri would start a war with Konoha about Zabuza and Haku. Especially Haku, since she isn't a registered ninja.

Thank you everyone who gave me ideas for Zabuza and Haku.

Disclaimer I don't own Naruto

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><p>(Last scene of Chapter 10)<p>

"They're pretty good," Zabuza noted. "Maybe they do deserve to be called ninja. The blonde and red head. They are able to make Kage Bunshin as Genin. Impressive." He watched as a clone of Naruto wrapped his chain around the still spinning Fuma Shuriken's ring, and swung it towards Zabuza. "But still foolish." he caught the shuriken in his free hand. He was surprised, when another projectile appeared. "Another Shuriken in the first's shadow? That's the Kage Shuriken(Shadow Shuriken. Not to be confused with Shuriken Kage Bunshin). But!" He jumped before the projectile could hit him. "Still not enough!" His arm was still attached to the prison. Suddenly, the Shuriken disappeared in smoke, and was replaced by Naruto, to the surprise of everyone. "Henge?" The original Naruto smirked, and threw the sickle part of his weapon at Zabuza. The Nuke-nin had no choice, but to let go of Kakashi. The kunai cut Zabuza's upper cheek. He laughed. "Hahaha! I like you, kid. Too bad I'm going to have to kill you!" He was going to throw the Fuma Shuriken, when Kakashi intercepted the blade with the metal part of his glove. His Sharingan spun in fury.

"Naruto," he said. "Good plan. You three have really grown up. But now, leave everything to me!"

(Opening theme, then back to the story)

Kakashi glared at Zabuza. "I'll warn you," he droned. "I don't fall for the same jutsu twice. What are you going to do?" Zabuza scoffed, and jumped away, dropping the Fuma Shuriken. The white haired Jonin followed, and the two landed on the water. Kakashi's Sharingan watched Zabuza's movement, as he rapidly went through hand signs.

"Ox, Monkey, Hare, Rat, Boar, Bird, Ox, Horse, Bird, Rat, Tiger, Dog, Tiger, Snake, Ox, Ram, Snake, Boar, Ram, Rat, Yang Water, Monkey, Bird, Dragon, Bird, Ox, Horse, Ram, Tiger, Snake, Rat, Monkey, Hare, Boar, Dragon, Ram, Rat, Ox, Monkey, Bird, Yang Water, Rat, Boar, BIRD!" Two pillars of water began rise. "Suiton: Suiryuudan(Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet) no jutsu!" The water soared to the skies, taking shape of wingless dragons. Everyone except Naruto was surprised at the jutsu.

"That many seals in a few seconds," Sasuke muttered in awe. "And he copied them all perfectly!" The two water dragons spiraled each other, before clashing. The resulting shock wave created a mini tsunami that washed Naruto towards everyone. They struggled to stay on the ground. The dragons continued to battle each other, as Zabuza swung his sword down on Kakashi. The white haired man managed to bring out a kunai, and keep the Zanbato at bay. Zabuza glared at him.

_'Something's not right,'_ he thought. Zabuza looked back at the time where they both did the Suiryuudan. _'He managed to copy everything that I did. Even when he joined me a few minutes late. Could it be?'_ He jumped back, with Kakashi doing the same thing. Zabuza stood there, before running in a circle. The Copy Ninja imitated every move he made, including his Kirigakure(Hidden Mist) no jutsu pose. _'I thought so. He's not only following, he's moving at the exact same time I am.'_

(Meanwhile)

As Zabuza fought Kakashi, another person was watching from a tree branch. It was what looked like a masked Hunter-nin. He/she wore a shinobi outfit that consisted of a moss green, striped turtle-neck sweater and a split skirt in matching colour that reached down to his/her knees. On the outside of that, he/she wore a green blue short kimono with white edges, and around his/her waist a green brown obi, in the same fabric as his/her sweater, with a fringed trail. _'Zabuza-sama,'_ he/she thought. Suddenly, Naruto appeared hanging on the branch next to the Hunter-nin.

"Yo," he greeted, making the masked man/woman jump and produce a senbon. Naruto waved his arms in defense. "No no. No need for weapons." He climbed on top of the branch, and sat down. Momo shunshined next to him. "We're here to watch. I'll only stop you if you attack my team." The Hunter-nin calmed down, seeing that the two weren't doing anything.

(Back to the battle)

Zabuza ran around some more, to prove his theory. _'Any movement I'm making,'_ he thought. _'He's-'_ He was interrupted by Kakashi finishing his thought.

"Reading them," Kakashi said, to the Nuke-nin's surprise. His Sharingan spun.

_'What? Did he read my mind? Damn it! That-'_

"Freaky eye is pissing me off."

_'...I'm Zabuza, and-'_

"I like bunnies." Everyone had a small laugh at that.

_'All you're doing is copying me.'_

"You can't beat me you monkey bastard!" A vein bulged on Zabuza's head.

"Damn you!" he exclaimed, as he went through hand seals. Kakashi imitated him "I'll make sure you never open that mouth again!" Suddenly, Zabuza widened his eyes. "That's..." As he looked at Kaksahi, he saw an image of himself doing the same thing he was. "ME? Is this one of his Genjutsu?" Before he knew it, Kakashi reached the last seal of the jutsu.

"Suiton: Daibakufu(Water Release: Great Waterfall) no Jutsu!" He called, releasing a large wave of water towards Zabuza.

"Impossible!" Soon, the Nuke-nin was washed away by Kakashi's jutsu. Zabuza was pushed to a tree, injuring his back. Several kunai pinned him to the trunk "Ugh..." Zabuza looked up to see Kakashi sitting on a tree branch. "How? Can you see the future?" Kakashi brought out another kunai.

"Yeah," he replied, as his eyes hardened. Before he could finish off Zabuza, 2 senbon lodged themselves in Zabuza's neck. The man gave a surprised cry, before going silent.

"He's dead," a soft voice said. Everyone except Naruto and Momo were surprised to see the Hunter-nin. "Check yourself." Kakashi landed on the ground, and press his fingers on Zabuza's neck for a pulse.

"You're right. He really is dead." The Hunter-nin nodded.

"Thank you very much. I have been searching for the opportunity to kill Zabuza for a long time." Kakashi examined his/her mask.

"You. You're a Kirigakure Hunter-nin, aren't you?" He/she nodded again.

"Impressive...You are correct. My duty is to hunt down Missing-nins. I'm a member of Kirigakure's Hunter-nin team.

_'From is voice and height, he's probably not much older than Naruto,'_ Kakashi noted. _'So young, yet he's a Hunter-nin.'_ Naruto appeared next to his team.

"I see," he said. "So that's why you were here. Thought you were with Zabuza." The Hunter-nin slightly tensed, a movement only Momo noticed. "But to be able to kill Zabuza with senbon. You must be strong. Hope we can fight sometime." The Hunter-nin said nothing, and shunshined next to Zabuza's body.

"Maybe another time," he/she replied, before putting Zabuza on his/her shoulder. "You must be tired. I would suggest resting. Now if you will excuse me, I need to dispose of the body. It holds many secrets. Farewell." Naruto and Momo waved the Hunter-nin goodbye, as he/she disappeared. Kakashi covered his Sharingan eye with his headband, before turning to his team.

"Now we have to get Tazuna-san back to his home," he droned. "Let's go, guys." Tazuna laughed joyously.

"Hahaha!" he exclaimed. "Super thanks, guys! You three should come over to my house and relax for a while!" Before anyone could respond, Kakashi fell down.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura said, as everyone gathered around the Jonin.

"I used the Sharingan too much..." he mumbled. "My body won't move." Naruto and Sasuke sighed. They each took an arm, and lifted their teacher on their shoulders.

"Yeesh, Kakashi-sensei," Sasuke said. "Sometimes, you're so helpless." With that, everyone resumed their trek back to Tazuna's house.

"I'd be thankful, but my knees are scraping on the ground."

(Tazuna's house)

"Wow," Naruto said, as he walked into the house. "This place is nice. Sasuke, just drop Kakashi-sensei on the floor." The Uchiha nodded, and released his grip on their teacher. A now unconscious Kakashi fell face first into the floor. Tazuna entered the house, with a bright smile.

"Tsunami-chan!" He called. "Inari-gaki! I'm home, thanks to these super ninjas!" They heard fast footsteps, and a young woman in a pink shirt and long black skirt appeared from a doorway. She had long black hair that framed both sides of her face. Tsunami ran to Tazuna, and hugged the old man.

"Otou-san!" she called, as she threatened to crush the bridge builder's ribs. "I'm so happy you're safe." Tazuna laughed, and faced the ninjas.

"Everyone, this is Tsunami. My super pretty daughter." The woman detached herself from her dad, and bowed to Team 7.

"Thank you for protecting my father." Naruto scratched his head, grinning. Tsunami looked to the ground, to see Kakashi lying on the ground. "Uh... who's this? Is he a friend of yours?

"That's our Sensei," Sakura explained. "He's unconscious right now, so do you have anywhere we can put him?" Tazuna's daughter pointed to a nearby door, and told them they could put Kakashi in the guest room. Naruto and Sasuke nodded, throwing their teacher on the Futon mattress.

(Few hours later)

"WAKE UP" Naruto yelled, before slapping Kakashi hard in the face. The white haired Jonin sat up with a gasp, and looked around. "There. He's awake." Kakashi saw his team gather around the bed with Tazuna and some woman he didn't know. "You alright, Kakashi-sensei?"

"I'll be fine," he replied. "Might be out of commission for about a week or so." He sat up, getting a better look of his surrounding. Sakura knelt in front of him.

"What? The Sharingan is incredible, but if it puts that much stress on the body, I guess you have to think before using it." Tazuna beamed.

"Well, we defeated that strong of a ninja this time," he said. "We should be safe for a while! But uh... Who was that masked kid?" Kakashi thought about the Hunter-nin's mask.

"That's the mask worn by Kirigakure's special Hunter-nin team. They are also known as body erasers, because their duty is to completely dispose of the boddy without a trace." Everyone listened to the Jonin's explanation. "A ninja's body has within it, secrets of the village's Ninjutsu, info on different Chakra types, herbs, and other things that will reveal things about the village. For example, if I died, the secrets of the Sharingan could be revealed. If you don't be careful, there's the danger that the enemy will steal your jutsu." Tsunami handed him a cup of water, which he drank. "Thank you. Anyways, a ninja's body can reveal important information. So, by killing and disposing of the Nuke-nins who have abandoned their village, the Hunter-nin protect the information from getting out. They are the specialists who guard their village's secrets. No sound, no smell. That is a ninja's end."

"So that means that Zabuza guy has been chopped up and disposed of?" Sakura asked. "Scary."

(Meanwhile)

The Hunter-nin put Zabuza's body down, and produced a pair of knives. He/she aimed the knives at the Nuke-nin. First, I'll cut the mouth cloth," he/she muttered. :Then I'll drain some blood and-" Just as he/she was about to cut Zabuza's mouth cloth, he opened his eyes, and grabbed the Hunter-nin's arm. He raised the other arm to his bandages.

"I'll do it myself," Zabuza said, lowering his cloth.

"Oh, you're alive." The Nuke-nin grunted, as he ripped the needles out. "You shouldn't be so rough. You'll really die, pulling them out like that."

"How long are you going to wear that mask?"

"But I like wearing it. It reminds me of old days. And it was useful for this act." He/she pulled down her mask, and revealed a gentle female face. She had long black hair, pale skin and large, dark brown eyes. "If I hadn't saved you, you definitely would have been killed."

"If you were going to put me into a momentary death, you didn't have to use my neck. You could have aimed for a safer acupuncture point. You could be really sadistic sometimes, Haku." All the girl did, was smile innocently.

"The neck doesn't have much muscle. It's easier to hit the acupuncture point there, Zabuza. Anyways, you shouldn't be able to move much for about a week. But...You might be able to move pretty soon." Zabuza looked at the girl in front of him. Haku always took care of him, as if they were father and daughter. Haku looked around. "The mist is clearing. Will you be alright, next time?" Zabuza's eyes darkened, remembering his defeat by Kakashi.

"Next time," he replied. "I will defeat Kakashi and his Sharingan."

(Tazuna's house)

Momo, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura leaned close to Kakashi's sleeping body. The blonde slowly reached up to Kakashi's mask, when his eyes opened. Everyone quickly walked away, before the Jonin could suspect them.

"Damn it," Momo cursed. "We were this close to seeing how his face looked like." Kakashi ignored them, and brought his hand to his Sharingan eye.

_'What's this?'_ He thought. _'Zabuza is dead... What's this feeling? I feel like I'm missing something very important.'_ That's when it hit him. "I got it!" he exclaimed, surprising everyone. "Body erasing teams usually dispose of the body of the person they killed right there. How did that masked boy dispose of Zabuza's body. He took him away, right? Hunter-nins would have just taken the head at least. And that weapon."

"So you caught on?" Naruto asked, getting everyone's attention. "You should know. Unless it hits a vital organ, a senbon has a low probability in killing someone. It's an item even used by doctor in acupuncture therapy."

"What are you getting at?" Tsunami asked. Momo stepped up.

"What he's trying to say, is that Zabuza is in fact alive." Everyone except Naruto and Kakashi was surprised. "When Kakashi checked if he was dead, he was really in a momentary death. And if I'm correct, then that means that the Hunter-nin is really working with Zabuza."

"And that means we're going to have to work hard until we face again," Kakashi said. "If I'm correct, we have a week."

"It not going to do anything," a new voice spoke. It was a young boy in overalls. On the kid's head, was a striped bucket hat that covered his dark hair.

"What was that?" Sasuke asked. The boy walked up to Tazuna, and greeted him.

"Inari," Tsunami said. "Say hello to the ninjas who protected your grandpa." The boy looked at Team 7 with dark eyes.

"It's no use," he muttered. "Against Gatou, all of these people are dead." Inari started to walk away. "I'm going to watch the ocean from my room." As soon as he was gone, Tsunami apologized.

"I'm very sorry about him." Naruto looked to where Inari disappeared, and followed the boy up the stairs. As he neared Inari's room, Naruto heard the faint sound of crying. The blonde closed his eyes, and listened closely.

"Dad," Inari whispered, as he cried. Naruto's eyes softened, and he walked away to give the boy his privacy.

(Later)

"Okay," Kakashi began. Let's begin training. But first, a little summary of Chakra. You see, Chakra is essential to even the most basic jutsu; it is the molding of the physical energy present in every cell of the body and the spiritual energy gained from exercise and experience. Once molded, it can be channelled through the chakra circulatory system, which is to chakra as the regular circulatory system is to blood, to any of the 361 chakra points in the body. Through various methods, the most common of which is hand seals, the chakra can then be manipulated to create an effect that would not be possible otherwise, such aswalking on water, exhaling fire or creating illusions. You three, aren't using Chakra properly."

"What?" Naruto asked. "I'm using my Chakra just fine." Kakashi poked Naruto's head with his crutches. "Hey!"

"Nope. Even if you're able to release a high amount of Chakra, unless you control it properly, the jutsu will be weakened or not work at all. By wasting your energy, you won't be able to fight as long. These kinds of weaknesses will appear. So, we're going to learn how to control it. We're going to..." Everyone leaned in, waiting for the tough training they would go through. "We're gonna climb trees!" Everyone face faulted.

"What the hell will that do?" Sasuke exclaimed. "Anyone can climb trees!"

"Sasuke-kun is right!" Sakura followed. Kakashi laughed on the inside, as his team misunderstood his lesson.

"Oh, and you can't use your hands." Now everyone except Naruto and Momo were confused. "Still don't get it? I mean this." With that, Kakashi began walking up the nearest tree, crutches and all. "I meant climbing trees like this." Sakura and Sasuke looked in surprise, while Naruto scoffed.

"That's all?" he mocked. "I could do that."

"Oh? Then please demonstrate." Naruto nodded, rubbed his hands together. He ran up to Kakashi's tree, and effortlessly began running up the trunk. As he neared Kakashi, he jumped and extended his hand to the Jonin's mask. "Kosoku(Restraint) no jutsu!" Naruto found himself falling to the ground with his arms stuck together behind his back. "Nice try, but at least you got it right."

"That's my favorite Jutsu!" Momo rolled her eyes, and began dragging the blonde back to his teammates. "I was so close, too."

"How do you know how to tree walk?" Sakura asked.

"I live in the forest. What do you think I do there, act like a monkey, and run around? Although..." The blonde eyed his Kusari-gama. He shook his head with grin that said that he wasn't done with the idea. "Anyways, I was trained by Momo here."

"Yup!" the red head beamed. "Taught him everything he knows. Cool, huh?" She produced her scythe. "And in turn, he got me this." She swung it at Kakashi's tree, and cleaved it in two. "It's really strong!" The Jonin cried out, before falling to the ground. Soon after, Sakura and Sasuke attempted to walk up the tree trunks, and marked how far they went with kunai. Meanwhile, Inari stood behind a tree, watching as they trained and trained.

"I doubt any of you can defeat Gatou," he mumbled. "But if you can, please do..."

* * *

><p>Chapter 11 done, hope you liked it.<p>

So bored at home.

Review/Flame


	12. Forest Meeting

I am back from the dead with Chapter 12

Freaking school.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

* * *

><p>(Somewhere)<p>

As Haku tended to Zabuza's injuries, she was interrupted by the sound of three people entering the room. The one in the middle was a short man with messy orange hair, wearing sunglasses. The man wore also wore a black suit, symbolizing his status as a businessman. He had a sneer on his face as he approached the two. Two of his bodyguards were behind him. Haku could feel her anger rising, seeing her employer. Right now, she was not in the mood to deal with the little midget.

"Gatou," Haku said, glaring at the small businessman. Gato grinned, aiming a mocking look at Zabuza.

"So even you have come back defeated," he mocked. "It looks like you Kirigakure shinobi are really weak pathetic. You can't even avenge your own men? And you call yourself a demon. It makes me laugh." Zabuza said nothing, and settled with glaring. But if looks could kill, Gatou and his two bodyguards would not even exist anymore. Suddenly, Gatou's bodyguards slightly unsheathed their katanas. This made Haku and Zabuza suspicious.

_'An attack?'_ He wondered, getting ready to slaughter the three. Even with his injuries, a couple of mercenaries and a small man would not even cause his to break a sweat. But, The businessman held his hand up, signaling the men to stop.

"Hold on a second," Gatou ordered, before walking over to Zabuza. "Hey. There's no need to stay silent." He reached towards the Nuke-nin's bandage mask, fully intent on ripping it apart. "How about-" He was about to reveal Zabuza's face, when Haku quickly grabbed his wrist. The man was surprised at this, and tried to get his arm away. But the girl did not falter. Haku hardened her grip enough to break bone, and delivered a deathly stare. They could feel the temperature in the room drop several degrees, to the point that they could see their own breaths.

"Don't you dare touch Zabuza-sama!" She growled, wanting to finish him off. Gatou gave a pathetic shout of pain, and tried to wrench his arm away. At that moment, Gatou's bodyguards went into action, fully unsheathing their swords. Just as they were about to swing their katanas down, Haku shunshined to the two, grabbed their sword arms, and twisted them to point their blades at each other. The tips on the blades tickled at their throat. It was an action no one except Zabuza was able to follow.

"N-no way," one of the one on the left mumbled. "He moved in an instant!" Haku edged the blades a little further into the necks of the bodyguards. If they so much as moved a centimeter, no doubt it would leave a mark. Haku had an annoyed look on her face, as she sighed.

"You shouldn't do that. I'm pretty pissed right now." Gatou yelled, and ran to the doorway. And as Haku let go of their katanas, his bodyguards followed. The sound of Gatous voice reached Haku's and Zabuza's ears.

"One more time!" Gato exclaimed, clutching his left arm. "If you fail one more time, you won't be welcome here anymore. Remember that!" Gato and his bodyguards ran away. "I'll make you pay for this!"

"Haku," Zabuza mumbled. "You didn't have to-" Haku shook her head.

"I know," Haku replied. "It's too early to kill Gatou. If we cause a commotion here, they will be after us again. We're gonna have to be patient." Zabuza nodded, before closing his eyes.

(Tazuna's house)

"Ugh!" Sasuke grunted, landing on his ass. He winced at the pain, and began to rub his rear. "That freaking hurt." Seeing the so-called "mighty" Uchiha fall, Naruto stifled a laugh, and stood up from his sitting place with Momo, who was sound asleep against him. Without his body to support her, the red haired girl fell to the ground, still asleep with a thin line of drool trailing down the corner of her mouth.

"Yeah," he said, shaking his head. "I hated doing that too. Took a hell of a long time to figure out what to do." He walked to the Uchiha. "Alright, here's what you do. Try to find a balance in your Chakra flow when you try to walk up the tree. As you've seen, not enough Chakra causes you to slip. Too much, and the bark explodes. You get what I'm saying?" Sasuke nodded, and stood up to try again. He proceeded to get a running start, but face planted when another voice reached their ears. He let out a yelp, before his face met the ground with a light thud.

"Oooi," Sakura called, before watching the Uchiha fall down. "Oops. Sorry, Sasuke-kun." The two looked up the tree, to see Sakura waving at them. She smiled. "Anyways, look at me, guys! I'm already at the top!" He raised her arm in victory.

"That was fast," Naruto replied, before putting his hands behind his head, and grinning. "Well, it was to be expected." He looked at the pink haired girl with his eye lazily opened, as if mocking her. "After all, between the both of us, you probably have the least amount of Chakra." Hearing this, the pink haired girl fumed. Sasuke watched as the two began to verbally insult each other The two began an all out war soon later, but it was more playful that hurtful. Kakashi watched between the arguing Naruto and Sakura, to the training Sasuke. His eyes formed into the only way anyone could tell that he was smiling.

"They're really becoming stronger growing up," he mused. "But I just hope that they'll be strong enough to take on Zabuza AND that fake Hunter-nin."

(The next day)

Sakura and Momo made their way to the bridge to help Tazuna. It was early in the morning, and the two were still half asleep. Not one of them was a morning person, and the fact that they had to help the old man, job or not, irritated them. "Tazuna-san," Momo said groggily. "We're here to protect you, while you work on the bridge."

"Hm?" the bridge builder replied. Tazuna looked at them, and furrowed his eyebrows. "Where's that black haired kid, and funny blonde?"

"They're at the house, helping Tsunami-san out," Sakura replied.

(House)

"And please move those chairs over there," Tsunami said. "And Sasuke-san, please take those dishes over there." Naruto, already carrying bed sheets and pillows and other things, ran to the kitchen to move the chairs. Sasuke, in a similar predicament, moved some of the things in his hand, and picked up the dishes. "Oh, and if you can, please help me with cleaning the basement. I'm so glad you two could help me."

"S-sure!" The two replied, running to and fro around the house.

(Bridge)

"I see," Tazuna mumbled. "Glad I'm not at the house right now." He let out a relieved sigh.

"Hey, Tazuna!" A worker called, walking over to the bridge builder. The man scratched his head nervously. "Uh...Look. I've been doing a lot of thinking recently, and...well, can I stop working on the bridge?" Tazuna bit his lip, and looked at the man with a look of surprise and disappointment.

"What?" he exclaimed. "Not you too, this is the 3rd one this week!"

"Tazuna, we've been close for a long time now. I want to help you, but if we continue this, Gatou will notice us. And if you get killed, then what's the point? Why don't we quit now. Building the bridge, I mean." Tazuna wouldn't have any of it. He was as stubborn as an old goat.

"...I can't do that. This bridge is our bridge. This is the bridge we started building together, believing it would bring resources into our super poor country."

"But if we lose our lives!" Tazuna turned around. "What's the point?"

"It's already noon, let's stop for today." He gave one last look at his worker, striking his disappointment to the man's heart. "Giichi, you don't have to come tomorrow."

As Tazuna, Sakura, and Momo walked around the village, the two girls couldn't help the pity they felt at how the village was like. People walked the streets, looking like they haven't washed in weeks, the grime visible on their face and clothes. Children sat on the ground, lost and crying for their parents, who looked like would never come. There seemed to be a large amount of the villagers missing. "I'm supposed to buy food for tonight," Tazuna explained, his voice solemn at the sight of his own village. Momo and Sakura looked inside the store, to see the shelves barely full of anything. Tazuna saw their curious faces, and sighed. "It's been like this since Gatou came. All the adults have lost hope. That's why we now need that bridge. A symbol of courage. We need for the people to lose their fear and regain the desire to stand up for themselves. If that bridge can be completed, the city will return to that time. The people will return to how they use to be." No doubt, the two's resolve to help the bridge builder renewed, as a fire seemed to ignite in their soul. They would not stand there, and watched as people suffered in front of each other.

(That night)

Naruto and Sasuke were quickly devouring their foods rather rudely, in an attempt to beat the other. Bits and pieces of rice were flying everywhere. They both raised their empty bowls, with a cry of "More!" The two stopped, before glaring each other. Suddenly, an overwhelming feeling rose in their stomach, and they fell back, throwing up the food they had eaten. Momo's eyes twitched, as her fist began to shake in annoyance.

"If you two are going to throw up," she scolded. "Then stop eating."

"No way," Sasuke replied. "I must eat." Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, we have to, no matter what. Because we have to become stronger." His words seemed to cause a trigger, since Inari spoke to them for the second time.

"Hey," Inari mumbled, just barely audible to the others "Why are you guys still here?" Everyone turned to him. He could feel anger well up inside of him, knowing what happened, if anyone tried to go against the businessman that had left the village on it's last breath. "Gatou... Gatou will kill you! No one can stop him, it's impossible!" The boy had small flashbacks of Kaiza, as he continued to yell at the team. He remembered how he had helped him when he was drowning. When Kaiza had helped the village, and jumped into the dangerous waters. And finally, his death. "Anyone who goes against that lunatic dies a humiliating death. It's too much to bear, seeing people needlessly throw away their lives. You should have never come here, because you will all eventually fail, like everyone else. They all gave us this false hope that the cycle of suffering would be broken, but we were just sent spiraling back deeper into the depths of hell." Everyone felt sad for the young boy, wondering what it was like to be so full of hatred at such a young age. Well, all except Naruto, whose eye grew darker at each sentence the little boy spouted.

"Inari!" Tsunami scolded. The boy ignored her, and stood up. He pointed a shaking finger at Team 7.

"No! You three just leave already! That monster can't be stopped, no matter what you do! Gatou, killed my father! In front of the whole village, Gatou pinned him to a cross, and killed him! What do you think you can do?" Naruto stood up, his chair falling down in it's back. No one could see his face, or his eyes which were covered by his bangs. But even then, the others could tell he had look that was nothing but the purest of anger and seriousness.

"Excuse me," he whispered, a little quiver in his voice. The blonde walked to the back door, before turning to Inari. He smiled softly, an expression no one expected. "Inari. Don't be like that...Your dad. You say he's gone, right? But you still have your mom and your grandpa, two people who will always love you no matter what in these dark times." No one could hear it, but there was a slight tinge of jealousy in his voice. "You should also keep the memory of your dad in your heart. That way, your family will always be complete, no matter what happens. And don't worry. Gatou...will surely be defeated. I'll personally see to it that he does." With that, Naruto exited the house, disappearing into the darkness.

"Naruto!" Momo called, running after the blonde. Inari stood where he was, stunned by Naruto's words. He could not form words, as the blonde's words echoed into his head, and seeped into his brain.

(Few days later)

Naruto laid on the forest ground, with clothes dirty and tattered, and his knuckles bleeding. Though by now, they had already dried up, leaving a reddish brown stain on his skin. The smell of iron lingered in the air. The light of morning seeped through the gaps of the leaves, leaving rays of light to hit the ground. A cold breeze made the leaves rustle. All in all, it was a peaceful moment for the blonde, whose chest softly rose and fell with each breath. Meanwhile, another person was in the forest, picking herbs. It was Haku, the fake Hunter-nin, and the accomplice of Momochi Zabuza. But at that moment, she was just a normal girl who was trying to help her friend. Haku put the plants in her basket, an array of ingredients for ointments and such, before noticing something on the ground. She saw a blonde boy around her age, dressed in all black. He had a scowl on his face, as he slept on the ground like it was a comfy mattress. He was even hugging a large rock. She looked at his face, and noticed the Leaf symbol on his Hitai-ate. Haku gasped. She had a slight flashback of the same boy watching Zabuza's fight with her, along with a red haired girl. _'It's the Konohagakure ninja!'_ she noted.

(House)

Sakura walked out of her room, to see everyone in the kitchen. Tazuna sighed sadly, as he looked outside his window. "Naruto still hasn't come back?" he asked. "He's been in the forest for days, hasn't he? Hope the little brat isn't dead."

"Don't worry," Kakashi assured. "Naruto isn't going to go down that easily. Besides, he lives in the most dangerous forest in our village."

"Yeah," Sasuke said. "Naruto isn't a weak person." His eyes narrowed. "Plus, there's something that he's hiding. I don't know what it is, but that look on his face was different from the usual blonde that we know." Momo said nothing, as she used her empathy link with Naruto to find where he was. But as much as she tried, she could not see where the blonde was. The only reason this would happen, was if Naruto specifically did not want her to know, and this made her sad. Naruto didn't even want her company at the moment.

(Forest)

Haku went on her knees, ignoring the dirt on her clothes, and bent down towards Naruto. She extended her arm, her hand going for Naruto's throat. She was aiming to kill Naruto at that spot. _'If I kill him here,_' Haku thought. _'Zabuza-sama would have less trouble.'_ Haku almost reached Naruto's neck, but hesitated. Looking at Naruto's face, Haku felt a feeling she did not expect to. For some reason, whoever this blonde was in front of her, he radiated an aura that she found herself familiar with. It was loneliness. Haku let out a sigh. _'...I... can't do it.'_ Haku led away from his neck, and put her hand on Naruto's shoulder, shaking it to rouse the boy. "You're going to catch a cold," she announced gently. "Wake up." Naruto grunted, and slowly opened his eyes. The light would've blinded him, if not for the figure that was standing above him. What he saw was a girl his age, with long black hair, almost touching his face. He could smell the scent of flowers and herbs, and it made him smile. The sunlight hit her, in a way, that made the surroundings bright, and blurry. She looked like an angel sent from Kami herself.

"Huh?" Naruto grumbled. "Who are you?" Naruto sat up, and looked at the person next to him. She had long hair flowing down like a dark waterfall and wore a pink sleeveless, low-cut kimono, with pale red edges. It was decorated with small plum-coloured swirls, and extended down to her ankles. Around her waist was a simple white obi tied in a bow, and she wore a pair of light brown sandals with dark straps. Around her neck was a dark choker. Naruto slightly blushed, as she smiled at him.

(Moments later)

"So you're Haku?" Naruto asked, as he picked a herb from the ground with his now bandaged hand. The girl was kind enough to clean his wounds that were, to her surprise, non-existent. Despite the blood that had covered his whole hand, there was not a mark to find, not a bone dislocated. It was as if nothing had happened to it. "Is this the one you want?" Haku looked up, and nodded. "This for someone you know?"

"Yes," Haku confirmed, putting an herb into her basket. "Thank you for helping out, Naruto-san." The blonde grinned, as he foraged for what Haku was looking for.

"Not a problem at all, miss. But you sure are up early." Haku giggled, and pointed a playful scowl at Naruto.

"Like you're one to talk. What are YOU doing here at this time of the morning?"

"I was training!" Haku's head snapped back at the sudden outburst. "I trained all night, and passed out on the ground." Haku hummed.

"Your Forehead Protector... Could you be a ninja?" Naruto nodded. "But you already look strong." Naruto's eyes softened.

"It's so I can help this one person. To prove that there are heroes, I need to show him that I can avenge his father, and everyone else.." Haku smiled, before giggling. "Huh? What is it?"

"Naruto-kun? Do you have someone important to you?" Naruto looked confused. Suddenly, Haku's face turned sad, and lonely. A look that was very familiar to Naruto. Surely someone like her had people to care for, and people who cared. "When a person has something important to protect, that's when they can become strong." Naruto looked back at the time he had helped Kakashi. He scratched his head.

"I...guess I understand," Naruto replied. Satisfied with his answer, Haku stood up. She gave Naruto one last smile, before she started to walk away.

"You will become strong, I'm sure of it. Let's meet again somewhere. I think I'd like that." Naruto grinned his fox grin, and also stood up. Turning the opposite direction, he looked back over his shoulder at the girl.

"Haku," Naruto called. The girl looked back at the blonde, curiously. Naruto closed his eye, and tilted his head up at the warm rays of light that permeated across the forest. It reminded him of his home. "Promise me you'll take care of Zabuza, alright?" Haku gasped. "I'm looking forward to a good battle." The girl bit her lip, wondering if Naruto would do something to her.

"How did you know?" she asked, to which Naruto raised his arm. With his thumb, he pointed to his neck.

"I saw a glimpse of that choker on the Hunter-nin I was with that day when we fought Zabuza. I may not look it, but I'm very good at observation. I could recognize the color of your hair, down to your scent, which is very nice, by the way." Haku blushed at the compliment. "It's a shame we're enemies, but right now, we're just people who have met for the very first time. I would have loved to be friends with someone like you." He flashed her his grin once more, and with that, Naruto shunshined away.

(Home)

"Momo?" Sakura asked. "Why are you smiling like that?" Momo looked away from the window, and shook her head. Her empathy link had reopened, and he could see where Naruto was.

"Nothing," she replied.

(Several Days)

"Naruto!" Kakashi called, as the team went in search of the blonde.

"Yo!" they heard. Everyone looked up to see Naruto waving at them. "What took you so long to find me?"

(Somewhere)

Zabuza sat down on his bed, holding an apple.

"You're almost all better," Haku noted. Zabuza nodded, and crushed the fruit.

"Ok!" he exclaimed. We should go soon, Haku."

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><p>And so ends Chapter 12<p>

Good to be back

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	13. Kitsune no Me Part 1

Chapter 13 is up.

I have too much free time. Started this story at around 7 AM, and finished 7PM

Delfim the Black kitsune: Now, you might hate this, but there are no lemons in this story. It's not that I won't, it's that I'm not capable of doing it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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><p>As the moon rested in the sky, Naruto and Sasuke both laid on the ground, beaten up, breathing heavily. They had several bruises on their arms and legs, and some cuts from kunai. "Time to head back?" Naruto asked. The other looked at him and nodded."<p>

"Yeah," Sasuke replied, as they stood up, and walked back to the house.

(House)

"Well," Tazuna exclaimed. "It's about time you guys came back." The bridge builder noticed their appearance. "You guys looks super dirty and worn out. Naruto grinned and shrugged.

"We had to train for the whole day, to get ready for Zabuza."

"You should really stop exhausting yourself," Momo sighed, sipping her tea. Kakashi closed his book, and looked at Sasuke and Naruto.

"All right then," he said. "Naruto, Sasuke. Starting tomorrow, you two will also help protect Tazuna." The two grinned, and nodded eagerly. "Tazuna-san, you must be worn out from the bridge work, please rest up for tomorrow." The old man nodded, and stood up to go to his room. Naruto also headed for his room. As he passed the hallways, Naruto noticed Inari sitting on the edge of a railing, overlooking the glistening water. Naruto smiled, and leaned his back against the doorway.

"Hey," he called, Inari looked back to see Naruto at the doorway.

"What do you want?" Inari asked.

"You know, believe it or not, you have a much better life than me." the boy looked at him as if he was crazy. "I never knew my dad. My mom too. When I was put in the orphanage, no one wanted me. Soon, everyone was taken, and the orphanage kicked me out at the age of 4. I was offered a house by the leader of our village, but I refused."

"Why?" Naruto walked to the railing, and looked at the moon. He had a sad smile.

"Because. From the day I was born, there have been people trying to kill me." Inari's eyes widened.

"Weren't there people protecting you?"

"Of course. But there were ways to get around the laws set up. So when I was kicked out, I told the Hokage, 'I... don't want to stay where I can be hurt. I just want to live.' And after that, I escaped into the forest, where no one could follow me. Lived in isolation for a few years, until I met Momo. She was my first friend ever in my life, and that made me happy. Anyways, Inari, you should be happy of what you have now. There will be a time when what you have is most important. And when that time comes, use this." Naruto reached in his pouch, and handed him a kunai. If you want to protect something precious to you, no matter how tough. No matter how sad, you must try, and try. And even if you lose your life, protect it." Inari was shocked, because of the similarities of Naruto's and his father's words. Naruto stood up, and patted the boy on his head, before going to his room for sleep. He bumped into Momo. "You should go to sleep too." The girl was confused, but saw Inari on the railing, and understood.

(Morning)

"Take care of Naruto!" Sakura said. "We're gonna go to the bridge." Tsunami nodded, and walked Inari back to the house. She entered Naruto's room to see Momo sitting next to a sleeping Naruto. Her hand resting on his forehead.

"He pushed his body to the limit yesterday," she noted. "But don't worry. He'll be up in no time."

"Let's super go," Tazuna said, leading Team 7 to the bridge. Tsunami waved them goodbye.

(Meanwhile)

A ship was heading towards Nami no Kuni. Inside, Gatou was sitting in a luxurious chair. "Is the ambush ready?" Zabuza didn't answer, as he got his equipment ready. " Zabuza?"..."Hey, Zabuza are you listening? Hey!"

"Shall we go, Haku?" Zabuza asked. The girl put her mask on, and nodded.

"Yes," she replied.

(Later)

"AH!" Naruto yelled, startling Momo. The blonde sat up, and looked around. He soon found a fist to his head.

"Idiot!" Momo exclaimed. "Don't scare me like that." Naruto rubbed his head. "Anyways, your teammates left some time ago." The blonde's eyes widened. "They are probably at the bridge already.

"They left me?" Naruto exclaimed. "Damn it! I have to catch up to them!" The boy ran out of his room, passing Tsunami and Inari. "I'm off!" He took a leap, and started to jump from the branches of trees. Momo soon caught up to him. "Damn it! They should've woken me up! I-huh?" Something on the ground caught his eye.

(Bridge)

Tazuna was shocked at the state of his workers. People laid on the ground, bleeding and beaten up. "What is this?" He exclaimed. He ran to one of his workers, and lifted his torso up. "What happened here?" The worker opened his eyes, and struggled to stay awake.

"It was... a monster," the man replied, before losing consciousness. Kakashi's eye widened, his thoughts instantly going to Zabuza.

"I fear the worst," Kakashi mumbled. He looked around. "This mist...Here they come!" Instantly, Sasuke and Sakura drew their kunais. "So he IS alive. And he's already here.

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said. "Isn't this the Kirigakure(Hidden Mist) no Jutsu?" Sasuke started shaking. A raspy cackle that seemed to come from everywhere sent shivers up their spines.

"Kakashi," a voice said from inside the mist. "Long time no see. I see you're still with those brats. The black haired one is shaking again. Poor kid." The mist cleared, revealing an ambush of Zabuza clones. Sasuke chuckled.

"You underestimate me," he threatened. "I'm shaking..." He lifted his head up with a wild grin. "from excitement!" Sasuke disappeared, and attacked all of the clones. They dissolved into water. "You can't fool me with those clones." The real Zabuza stood a few yards away from them.

"He saw through my Mizu Bunshin. That brat has grown." He looked at Haku. "Looks like you have a rival." Haku nodded.

"It does indeed." Sasuke stared at the masked ninja.

"That masked one," he noted. He was obviously Zabuza's comrade, standing right next to him and all. He should stop hiding under that mask.

"Ah," Haku said. "He's very impressive. Even thought the Mizu Bunshin is 1/10th the strength of the original, he was still able to beat them." Haku looked around. _'Where's Naruto-kun?'_ She pushed that thought away, and charged at Sasuke.

(Tazuna House)

The wall of the house was shattered, as one of Gatou's minions used a blunt object to break it down. Tsunami was frozen where she stood. The minion with a hat and eye markings stepped forward, brandishing his weapon. "You are Tazuna's daughter, right?" he asked. "Sorry, but you're coming with us." Inari was inside the bathroom, when he heard his mother's scream from the kitchen. He ran outside.

"Mom!" he yelled. He was surprised to see two men backing his mom into a corner. They looked at him with sadistic grins.

"What do you want, kid?" the hatted man asked. Tsunami stood upright, not wanting her son to get involved.

"Get out of here!" she yelled. "Run away!" The minion with an eye-patch gripped his sword hilt.

"Should we take him too?" the other minion shook his head, saying how Gatou only needed one hostage. The man with the eye-patch slightly unsheathed his katana. "Then we should kill him." Tsunami's eyes started to water.

"Wait!" Everyone looked at her. "If you touch that child, I will bite my tongue and kill myself. You want a hostage, right?" Everyone was silent for a while, before one of the man scoffed.

"Thank your mom, kid." The other cursed, not being able to cut anything. "Quit your whining. You're always cutting things up. Let's just take her." Inari was crying, not being able to save his mom. He had several flashbacks.

Kaiza-"If you're a man, choose a life of no regrets." He reached into his pocket.

Naruto-"There will be a time when what you have is most important. And when that time comes, use this." Inari gripped the kunai Naruto gave him.

Kaiza and Naruto-"If you want to protect something precious to you, no matter how tough. No matter how sad, you must try, and try. And even if you lose your life, protect it with these to arms."

"Protect... with these two hands. And with that... I will become strong. Right, dad?"  
>He ran to the minions. "Wait!" The two froze, and turned to Inari. He brought out the kunai. "Get...Get away from my mom!" The man with the eye-patch scoffed, and brought out his katana.<p>

"I'm gonna enjoy cutting you up." His partner gave him a sign to proceed, so he ran towards the kid. Before the blade could cut Inari, he disappeared in a puff of smoke. In his place was Naruto, with his kunai struggling against the man's sword. He pushed the man back, giving him distance.

"Sorry for being late, but a hero usually arrives at the last minute. Inari ran out of where Naruto was sleeping. "Good to see you're not crying anymore. Great job, Inari." Naruto cracked his neck, and faced the two minions.

"You're that loser ninja that Tazuna hired. This is going to be easy." The other man unsheathed his blade, and joined his eye-patched partner.

"You won't find it easy to defeat me." Momo appeared next to him, her wakizashi drawn in a reverse-grip. "Especially with her here." the bijuu grinned, and the two charged. Naruto easily dodged the hatted man's sword, and grabbed his arm with a knee to the stomach, the man doubled over. Naruto used his elbow to hit the man in the chest, making him fall down. Momo's wakizashi struggled with the eye-patched man's katana.

"You're pretty good with a blade," the minion growled. "I'll have the pleasure of cutting up your body!" Momo narrowed her eyes, she slid her blade horizontally releasing it from the katana's weight. The man stumbled from the lack of resistance. Momo used this distraction to make a deep cut in the man's arm. With a kick, he was launched to his partner. Both Naruto and Momo went through hand seals.

"Doton!" They announced. "Tsuchi Kairo(Earth Corridor) no jutsu!" The ground shook, as a large amount of it rose and trapped the two in a dome of super dense dirt. Tsunami ran to her child, and hugged him with all her strength. The two cried happily. Naruto knelt in front of them, and patted Inari's head.

"Inari. You've really proven yourself you're not weak, you are strong." He stood up. "Momo, can I count on you to protect these two?"

"Of course," Naruto-kun," she replied. "Leave it to me. You go ahead and help the others." Naruto nodded. He waved them goodbye.

(Bridge)

Haku and Sasuke clashed, senbon vs kunai. _'He can keep up with Haku,'_ Zabuza noted. Kakashi's thoughts were the same.

"Sakura!" he ordered. "Step in front of Tazuna-san, and don't leave his side. We'll let Sasuke handle the fake hunter." Sakura nodded, and went to protect the bridge builder.

"I don't want to have to kill you," Haku said. "But you won't stand down, will you?" Sasuke grinned, and shook his head. "I see. I'm afraid you won't be able to keep up with my speed the next time. Plus, I've already gained two advantages." The raven haired boy narrowed his eyes. "The first is the water on the ground. The second, is that I have occupied one of your arms. You will now only be able to run from my attacks." With that, Haku used her other hand to perform seals.

"Seals...with one hand?" Sasuke thought out loud.

"Sensatsu Suisho(Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death) With a stomp, droplets of water rose to the air, and suspended themselves. They formed into sharp needles. Sasuke made a half ram seal.

"Focus chakra..." he muttered. "To my legs!" In an instant, Sasuke was able to get away from the attack. Haku was also able to avoid being impaled. The raven haired boy appeared behind Haku. "You're pretty slow." The two exchanged attacks, ending in Haku being kicked back. Zabuza's looked shocked.

"He beat Haku in speed." He mumbled in surprise. Kakashi eyesmiled.

"I can't have you underestimating my team by calling them 'brats,'" he said. Sasuke: Considered the #1 Rookie of Konoha. Sakura:The brightest in the village. And Naruto: Without a doubt, the most surprising ninja, and future Hokage!" He heard Zabuza chuckle.

"Where is that blonde? I actually wanted to fight him, but whatever. Haku! At this rate, we'll be driven back." The masked girl stood up.

"We can't have that, now can we?" She replied coolly. The water around her rose, surprising Sasuke. He prepared himself, but couldn't predict anything. Soon, the liquid took form of something else. "Hyoton(Ice Release): Makyo Hyosho(Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals)!" Sasuke soon found himself trapped in a dome of floating ice mirrors. Haku walked forward, and stepped inside a mirror. Her image reflecting on the others. Kakashi moved to save Sasuke, but was stopped by Zabuza.

"Hey," he said. "Your opponent is me. Against that jutsu, I'm afraid your precious student is finished." Kakashi glared at Kakashi.

"Shall I begin?" Haku asked. "I shall show you my true speed." Sasuke suddenly grasped his shoulder, as a cut appeared. Then another. Soon, a barrage of senbon hit Sasuke. He screamed in pain. Kakashi tried to get around Zabuza, but the Nuke-nin refused to let him escape.

"If you get by me," he growled. "I'll kill those two." He motioned to Sakura and Tazuna.

"Sorry," Sakura said. "I'm going to have to leave you for a moment. Tazuna nodded, and she sprang into action. In an instant, Sakura had thrown a kunai directly at the Ice Mirrors. She was surprised when Haku emerged from the mirror, and caught it. Suddenly, a shuriken was thrown, and it impacted on her mask. Taken by surprise, Haku dropped from her mirror.

"Heh..." Sasuke groaned, as he laid on the ground. "It's about time." In a poof of smoke, Naruto appeared, one hand in his pocket, the other resting his Kusari-gama on his shoulder.

"Sup," Naruto greeted, doing a two finger salute. "Sorry for the shuriken, Haku." The masked ninja stood up, and faced the boy. Zabuza sighed, before releasing a barrage of shuriken. Naruto was going to deflect them, but another rain of projectiles canceled them out.

"Haku?" Zabuza asked.

"Zabuza-san. Please allow me to fight these kids my way."

"I see. You're as soft as always." Sasuke slowly stood up.

_'He's_ right.' Sasuke thought._ 'This ninja. He's only attacking with needle. And he's not aiming at any dangerous areas. He's not trying to kill me?'_ The raven haired boy looked around. _'But what's this jutsu? Having clones in the mirrors all throwing needles. No, it's too fast for that. I can't even see where they are coming from. And if it was just Bunshin no Jutsu, then why the mirrors? These mirrors serve the same purpose in this attack. Well, with me on the inside, and Naruto attacking from the outside-'_

"I'm here to save you," Naruto said, appearing in front of Sasuke. The Uchiha sighed, as he gained a tic mark.

"..."

"Sasuke?"

"What the hell?" Sasuke exploded. "Why the hell did you come inside the mirrors? Use your brain, man!" Naruto looked around.

"Whoops," he said, scratching his head. Haku used this time to re-enter the mirror.

"So he's there." Sasuke threw a kunai at the image of Haku, only for it to disappeared.

"Over here," Haku called in a soft voice.

"He moved?" _'Fine, I'll just burn it. It's made of ice.'  
><em> Sasuke went through hand seals.

_'So that's her ability,'_ Naruto thought. Despite the situation, Naruto couldn't help but find it cool.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" The fireball impacted the ice in an explosion. He thought he had melted the mirrors, but was surprised when they were still there. "It didn't do anything!" The two were soon pelted by senbon.

"Where's the real one?" Naruto demanded. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A dozen Narutos appeared. "Find the real Haku." The clones nodded, and began trying to break the mirrors. But no matter how many times they hit, they couldn't find the real Haku. The girl was transporting from one mirror into another. She threw a barrage of senbon, killing all of the Bunshins.

"It's useless, Naruto-kun," Haku declared. "This jutsu uses the mirrors reflection to transport me. From my point of view, you seem to be moving in slow motion."

"I knew it," Kakashi said. "For a kid to master a jutsu like that, he must have an Advanced Bloodline." Zabuza laughed darkly.

"Damn it," Naruto growled. "I can't die here. Not before I fulfill my dream." Hearing this, Haku was reminded of when Zabuza had found her as a child.

"Becoming a true shinobi is difficult for me," She said. "If possible, I don't want to have to kill you. Nor do I want you to kill me. But if you oppose me. I can destroy my kind heart and become a true shinobi. This bridge is where we fight to connect our dreams. Me, for my dreams, and you for yours. Please don't hate me. I want to protect someone precious to me. To work for that person. To fight for that person. To make that person's dreams come true. For that, I can become a shinobi. I can kill you."

"Even if they could somehow, defeat that jutsu," Kakashi began. "They cannot defeat that boy." Sakura tilted her head.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Zabuza laughed.

"They don't yet have the strength to destroy their hearts, and kill another person. Haku knows the true pain of being a shinobi. A real shinobi can't be created in a peaceful village like yours." Kakashi reached up to his Forehead Protector. "The Sharingan? Is that all you can do?" Before Kakashi could lift his headband, Zabuza charged with a kunai. Kakashi used his free hand to stop him. The kunai pierced his hand.

"'Is that all I can do?' Are you afraid of the Sharingan, Zabuza? You should feel honored. You're the one person to see it twice. There won't be a third time."

"Heh. Even if you defeat me, you can't defeat Haku. Ever since he was a little kid, I taught him all kinds of fighting skills. He can defeat the greatest adversary. His jutsu surpasses even mine. The terrifying ability of an Advanced Bloodline. I gained a high quality tool. Unlike the scrap that you have." Kakashi revealed his Sharingan.

"There's nothing as boring as a man's bragging." Zabuza chuckled.

"You know, the last time we fought I had Haku watch every aspect of the Sharingan. Needless to say, the same jutsu won't work twice on me. Kirigakure no Jutsu." The familiar fog surrounded the area. Zabuza disappeared, only to appear behind next to Tazuna and Sakura. He had his zanbato drawn. Kakashi shunshined in front of Zabuza. "Too late!"

(With Haku)

Naruto and Sasuke were exhausted, with senbon sticking out from their bodies. Naruto was unconscious. Sakura's scream was heard. "That was Sakura's voice. What happened? Damn it. I have to do some thing!" At that moment, Naruto started to wake up. "You move well. But this time, I'll stop you!" Haku responded by throwing senbon. Sasuke's teeth grinded in frustration. "He's coming. Calm down...Concentrate...And see through it! Sasuke grabbed Naruto, and moved both of them away from the projectiles. Haku gasped. As Sasuke moved his head up, his eyes were completely different. He had 2 red irises. On his right eye, were two tomoe, while his left only had one.

"It can't be!" Haku said. "Sharingan?"

"Just a little bit," Sasuke muttered. "But I can see!" Haku looked to Naruto.

"Most likely, the longer this fight goes on, the better you will be able to read my movements." '_Attacking him head on could be dangerous. I'll have to use Naruto-kun.'_ "This is the end!" Sasuke followed Haku's movements, and his eyes widened.

"At Naruto? Damn it!" He charged to defend his friend. "Make it in time!"

(With Kakashi)

Kakashi clutched his torso, trying to stop the bleeding. "You're too slow, Kakashi," Zabuza mocked. "Did your desire to save these brats cloud your mind and make your mind and the mist thicker? Even with that eye, your ability to read my movements is dimming. Hahaha. Let me enjoy this more. I want more fun as I return the favor. Don't worry about the brats, Haku must've killed them by now."

"Sasuke-kun won't lose to that guy," Sakura exclaimed "Naruto too."

"Exactly," Kakashi replied. "I believe in their strength. Naruto's determination. And Sasuke is the offspring of the Leaf's most outstanding Clan." Zabuza's eyes widened.

"You mean..."

"Yeah. His name is Uchiha Sasuke. A genius, with the blood of the Uchiha Clan running through his veins." Zabuza growled before disappearing in the mist. Kakashi stayed calm. "I know you can hear me. You think I survived this world with only the Sharingan? I am a former member of the ANBU. I'll show you the type of ninja I was. Copying isn't my only trick. I'll show you my own techniques."

(With Haku)

Naruo opened his eyes to see Sasuke above him, and Haku laying on the ground.

"Damn it," Sasuke slurred. "Don't get in the way, Naruto."

"Sasuke, you-!"In an instant, Sasuke's body was covered in senbon. "Sasuke." The Uchiha's blood littered the ground. Sasuke's breathing became labored, and his voice quivered.

"...You know, when I first met you, I thought you were annoying. I...kinda hated you."

"Why did you risk your life for me. I didn't ask for it!" Sasuke grinned.

"I don't know. My body moved on it's own." The Uchiha collapsed, but Naruto caught him, being mindful of the senbon. "That man... My brother... I told myself I wouldn't die until I killed him. You better not die." With that, Sasuke's eyes closed. Haku stood up.

"Your friend died to protect you," she said. "He died an honorable death. Is this your first experience of death, Naruto-kun?" Naruto stood up, and brought his hand up.

"I have witnessed death before, Haku. I've sat on the edge of it, staring the Shinigami in the face. And in return, I gained power." In a swift movement, Naruto ripped off his eye-patch. His right eye was pure red, with no pupil. The skin around his eye was cracked, glowing red. Red Chakra spiraled around Naruto, as he went through hand seals.

"What is this? This is Chakra?" The image of a fox was formed from the malevolent Chakra. "That's impossible! Such malevolence." The wounds all over Naruto's skin healed.

(With Zabuza)

Everyone froze as they felt a disturbance. Kakashi's eyes widened. "This Chakra," he muttered. "It's not possible!" Zabuza was searching the area.

_'What is this?__'_ he thought, _'something's not right. It feels just like Yagura.'_

"The seal has been broken?...This feeling. The seal has not completely broken. But it's weakening. Soon the Kyuubi's powers will burst out! Sorry Zabuza, but this has to end quickly!" Kakashi brought out a scroll, and used the blood on his torso to draw a line on the paper.

(With Haku)

"What Killer Intent!" Haku gasped. "Naruto-kun's Chakra is so much different." She threw a handful of senbons, which melted before they could get near him. She looked around, and her eyes widened. "My mirrors are melting!"

"Katon: Karyuu Endan(Fire Dragon Flame Bullet)!" With a large puff of air, Naruto released a large blast of crimson fire about 4 yards in width at the roof of the Ice Mirrors. Before the fire even touched the ice, the mirrors melted and evaporated. Haku was able to get away from the blast before she got hit.

"He melted my mirrors so easily! Is this a Kekkei Genkai!" Naruto jumped out of the dome, fire trailing behind him. Haku was surprised to see the despair that was on Naruto face.

"This power...It was given to me when I was born from the flames of a monster. From what I've seen, it enables me not only stronger flames, but completely control of it." As if on cue, the fire from the Karyuu Endan came back, encircling him he walked up to Haku and glared at her. "Tell me. Is Sasuke really dead?" Haku flinched. Seeing this, Naruto smiled. "I see. Haku. You told me that you didn't want to have to kill me. I'd rather not kill you either. But you will not go away without some payment." Naruto brought out a kunai, and dashed in front of her. The kunai made slight burns on her neck. Haku closed her eyes, preparing for death, but soon felt cool air on her face. She opened her eyes to see Naruto with his head down. The fire had subsided, and the kunai was no longer on her neck. Her mask laid on the ground.

"Aren't you going to kill me? I am prepared if you are." Naruto clenched his fists. With swift movement, Naruto sent his fist toward her face. The fake hunter fell to the floor. "There are people who make this mistake. Not killing their enemy out of pity. letting them leave with just their lives. Not having a dream... not being needed by anyone. The pain of simply living." Her eyes started to tear up. "Zabuza has no need for a weak shinobi. I have no reason for existing.

"Why?" Naruto said. "Why are you working for a guy like Zabuza. You, a kind-hearted person, working for a ruthless man."

"I had precious people very dear to me long ago. My...parents. I was born in a small snowy country. I was happy." Haku began to tell stories of her younger days with her parents. "But it didn't last. The bloodline purge went into effect. It was a law that killed many people with Kekkei Genkai. My father...killed my mother, and tried to kill me." Naruto's eyes widened. "In my defense, I had killed my father. And soon, I came to realize that I was someone that was unwanted." From her eyes, Naruto could see his own. The sadness, the isolation. "But then, as I was on the verge of death, Zabuza had found me. He had taken me in, and raised me. I was so happy. He told me to follow him, so I could only oblige. And at that time, I became Zabuza's tool. But now, I have been defeated. Please Naruto-kun. Kill me."

(With Zabuza)

"Kuchiyose: Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu(Summoning: Earth Release: Tracking Fang Technique)!" Kakashi slammed his hands on the ground, making seals appear.

"That will not help you," Zabuza mocked. "You don't know where I am, but I'm know where you are." Suddenly, the ground shook, and out came 7 dogs. They all bit Zabuza, trapping him where he stood.

"I let you stab my hand, and cut me, so that my blood would be on your blade. My nin-dogs were able to find you. I will show you my original jutsu. Kakashi made 3 seals. A circle of lightning appeared on the ground, and gathered on his hand. A loud screeching noise sounded. "Raikiri!" Zabuza's eyes widened. "This is the end, Zabuza!" Kakashi charged.

(With Haku)

Haku heard a screeching noise, and saw Kakashi charge a trapped Zabuza. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I have one last job as Zabuza's tool. Haku disappeared. Naruto's eyes widened, knowing what she was going to do. He shunshined. Haku appeared in front of Zabuza, with Kakashi's attack almost reaching her. At the last second, she felt her body being pushed.

...

The screeching noise stopped, and everyone froze. Haku looked up, and saw Naruto. But what she noticed was that Kakashi's arm pierced the blonde's shoulder. His hand almost reaching Zabuza. Everyone was silent. Then,

"NARUTO!"

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><p>Chapter 13 done.<p>

Bet you were disappointed from the ability of Naruto's eye. You're maybe thinking. "That's so lame!" Especially since he only used it to melt Haku's Ice Mirrors here. Oh well, see ya next time. Bye.

Flame/Review


	14. Kitsune no Me Final

Chapter 14 is up. I hope you like it. Sorry if it seems random at times.

Craven34: While your argument most likely holds a point, I think I'll continue as I'm doing the story. If things go wrong, I can always restart. If it does work, then I continue. As for Tayuya, I guess it's fun for people to make her a tsundere. And hey, everyone needs love, right?

By the ways, to see how Naruto looks like, there's a link in my profile

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

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><p>(Kirigakure)<p>

Inari ran to a house, knocking on the door as hard as he could. "Gichi!" He exclaimed. "Open up!" Anyone that looked at Inari, could see he was excited. "Come with me to the bridge! This time, if we all go together, we can defeat Gatou's men!" At first, there was no response, but then a weak voice answered him.

The voice replied with,"I'm sorry, Inari. We don't want to fight anymore. It's just useless. Even your father, the man called a hero, is gone. If we fight, there will be sacrifices. We don't want to lose anyone more. Nobody wants to do anything they'd regret."

"...I don't want to have any regrets, either. That's why we have to fight! My dad told me to choose a life of no regrets. I love my mom, my grandpa, you, and everyone in this city." The other side was silent. "Now I know you can't protect anything by being a cry-baby. Inside the house, Gichi and his wife, an elderly couple, were lamenting over Inari's words.

"Inari has grown up," his husband noted. "Are we really going to let him go alone?" Gichi sighed.

"I don't know, Inishie. But this village has suffered a lot already."

"We can't let a young boy go off and kill himself. We were fighters once." The old man walked to a box, and opened it. He examined the contents with deep thought.

"Maybe. Just maybe."

(Tazuna's house)

"You can't go to the bridge alone!" Tsunami exclaimed at Inari.

"I went through the whole village," Inari replied. "No one wants to come. I have no choice." Tsunami's eyes softened.

"But..." She tried to find a reason to keep him safe. "You are still a child!" Inari took his crossbow and arrow, and grinned at her.

"I may be a kid, but I know what it means to fight. Because I'm my father's son!"

"I'll go with him," Momo said, summoning her scythe. "Don't worry about it, Tsunami-san."

As he opened the door, he was stricken with an amazing sight.

(Bridge)

Naruto held Kakashi's arm, as it was still lodged in his shoulder. "Naruto...kun." Haku muttered. "What have you done? Why did you do that?"

"I couldn't just stand there and watch as you try and kill yourself," he replied softly. His blood littered the floor. Zabuza looked at Haku. "You don't deserve to die, while I am not so innocent."

'So you're the one trying to kill yourself?" Naruto scoffed.

"No." The blonde boy ripped Kakashi's arm from his shoulder, cringing from the pain. "I will not die just yet."

"It seems you were useless to me," he growled. Naruto grit his teeth, and slammed Zabuza's face with the back of his fist. The Nuke-nin was pushed several feet back, to Haku's surprise.

"Naruto!" Kakashi exclaimed. "You shouldn't move so much. Please stay here, and let me fight." He waved him off,

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled. She was running towards the blonde, with Tazuna following. "Are you okay?" Naruto looked at her with eyes that had anger. But it wasn't towards her. "Naru...to?"

"I'm okay," he replied. "Go to Sasuke, Sakura. He's lying on the ground a couple of yards to my left. Alive. Take Tazuna with you." The pink haired was confused, but nodded. She took Tazuna's hand, and led him to the raven-haired boy. As she left, the blonde turned his attention to the now standing Nuke-nin. He moved faster than Zabuza could follow, behind him. Naruto grabbed the back of his neck. "I don't get it. How someone so innocent could work for someone for you, is just confusing." Zabuza narrowed his eyes, but not in anger. "Haku's life is similar to mine. No one wanted me. They tried to kill me. But in the end, we are so different. Haku never wants to hurt anyone, while I hurt to stay alive." He strengthened his grip, making Zabuza wince. "But I know that Haku cares for you. Haku will do anything to protect you." He looked at the formerly masked ninja, who had several senbon drawn. "I didn't think it was possible, but the people who I fight, are the ones who I befriend the most. And as much as I hate you, I also consider you a friend."

"That's a very dangerous trait of you, boy. Friends and family can distract you, as you grow. It's only if you train yourself to be a person who kills can you survive in this world."

"No, that is wrong. Though there are times when acquaintances can lead you down a wrong path, there are times when they can give you happiness."

"Happiness," Zabuza mused. "I only get happiness when I feel my victims' blood on my blade." He sprang into action, escaping from Naruto's grasp. He took hold of his Kubikiribōchō, and summoned the mist once again. Kakashi was about to move, when Naruto pushed him back.

"Stay back, Kakashi-sensei. This is my fight." Kakashi watched, as Naruto was engulfed in crimson flames. The familiar aura of the Kyuubi filled the air.

"So that's what it was," Kakashi muttered. Naruto went through signs.

"Katon: Honōnonami(Surge of Flame) no Jutsu!" Naruto slammed his palms on the ground, creating a wave of fire to spread across the area. Naruto controlled the flames to avoid Kakashi, Haku, Sakura, Tazuna, and Sasuke. Zabuza jumped from where he was, and descended down with his Zanbato at ready. Naruto summoned his Kusarigama, and aimed it at Zabuza's legs. The chain wrapped itself around the Nuke-nin's foot. With a pull, Zabuza was thrown off-balance, making him clumsily fall to the ground. He quickly regained control, and went through hand seals.

"Suiton: Suiryudan(Water Dragon Bullet) no Jutsu!" The water from under the bridge rose like a geyser, forming into the familiar form of a dragon. Naruto narrowed his eyes, and pumped his weapon full of Momo's Chakra. As the sea serpent charged in front of him, Naruto grinned, and spun his chain around. With a grunt of effort, he hurled the blade at the dragon, splitting it as it touched. Zabuza's eyes widened, and he began to use more chakra in his Jutsu. The water that had been split, reformed, as if it was never damaged. Naruto pulled back his kusarigama, and gathered his fire. Extending his hands to his sides, the blonde unleashed a huge blast of fire. Zabuza was confused. "What is he trying to do? My attack is in front of him."

"What kind of fire is this?" Haku muttered, as the attack passed by her. "It was enough to melt my ice, yet I can't feel any heat from it. He's not even using a Jutsu, it's like he creates them from nothing!" She reached her hand towards the flames, and was surprised when it felt like there was nothing there. Naruto clapped his hands in front of him, commanding the fire to do the same. Zabuza's Suiryudan was hit by fire on both sides. The water evaporated, and created a wall of fire at the same time.

"I see," Kakashi mused. "So he created that wall to stop any water from hitting." With a movement of his arm, Naruto blasted all of his flames back at Zabuza in the same manner of the Suiryudan. Zabuza was blasted back, surprisingly unharmed from the fire.

"Get it in your head that killing is not the only way to live life!" Naruto yelled. He shunshined to the Nuke-nin. "If you have power, then use it to protect those that need protecting. Not useless slaughter!" Reaching Zabuza, he pulled back his fist. The older did the same. Both opponents released their punch in a cross counter. Their fists passed each other, and connected on the others cheeks. The force was enough to push each other back.

"As long as there is danger in this world," Zabuza started. They exchanged more punches. "You have be able to do anything to protect yourself. Even if you have to kill your own friends to do it." Naruto grit his teeth, and wiped the blood off his mouth. He landed his fist on Zabuza's stomach. The Nuke-nin growled.

"There will always be danger, Zabuza, and you know it. But if it meant to save your own life, would you mercilessly kill Haku?" Naruto saw Zabuza hesitate. "No, you wouldn't, would you?" Zabuza pushed Naruto back, putting distance between them.

"Haku is just a tool for me. His death will give me another chance at life."

"You don't mean that. The way you answered me, you hesitated. You would very well risk your life to protect Haku. Isn't that right? Because to you, Haku isn't just a tool, he's a teammate. If anything, Haku is the only person left, that keeps you from completely going insane." Before they could act, another voice entered.

"What is this?" the voice asked. Everyone looked to where the voice came from. In the other side of the bridge was a short man with messy orange hair, wearing sunglasses. The man wore wore a black suit, and carried a walking stick with him. The man's left hand was covered in a cast.

"Gatou," Zabuza growled. "What are you doing here? And what's with all these men?" Kakashi eyed the man with suspicion.

"Hehehe. The plan has changed, Zabuza. "Well, I actually planned this from the beginning. Zabuza, I'm going to have you killed here. I never planned on paying you money." Everyone opposing Gatou glared at the midget for his treachery. "Hiring a ninja from the village is expensive, and they may betray me. So I get you Nuke-nins who are easy to take care of afterwards. I have the ninjas battle each other and once they're weakened, I kill them off with numbers. It doesn't cost me anything. Good plan, don't you think?"

"Who the hell are these people?" Naruto demanded. "What are they talking about?" The Nuke-nin narrowed his eyes, at the realization.

"It seems.. we've been tricked," Zabuza mumbled. "Oi, gaki. It looks like we're not enemies any more." Naruto simply nodded. Gatou spotted Haku, and grinned.

"You. I owe you for this." He motioned to his broken arm. "I'll have the pleasure of killing you first." He raised his cane, and a hidden blade slid out.

"You're not going to help him?" Naruto asked. He looked at the Nuke-nin.

"As I was used by Gatou, I used Haku. That's all it was. I've said it before. In the world of Shinobi, there are only those who use, and those who are used. We Shinobi are simply tools." Naruto sighed.

"You are still saying that? Do you really feel nothing for someone willing to kill themselves for you? Who thinks of you as his father. Someone who looks up to you, no matter what you do, not because he has to, but because he chooses to. He even told me, that his dream, was to die, as your tool, yet right now. He's not dying for you. Haku is dying because of you. So let me ask you again. You're not going to help him?" Zabuza clenched his fist, and grasped the handle of his zanbato.

"...I could see in his eyes, that it pained him to fight you. He's not just fighting for me. He's fighting for you guys too. He's too kind." Zabuza ripped of his mask. "You maybe right, kid. A shinobi is still a human. So I ask _you_ this. Will you help? Not even I can defeat all of these people. Not in my weakened state." Naruto looked surprised, but grinned at Zabuza's new attitude.

"Of course. Kakashi-sensei!" The Jounin nodded, and readied himself for battle. "Alright! Let's go!" The three shunshined, with Naruto and Kakashi going to the army of mercenaries. Zabuza went to Haku.

(With Haku)

"Die!" Gatou yelled, aiming his blade for Haku's head. Right before he could pierce through, another object went in the way, breaking Gatou's hidden blade. Gatou looked up in horror, seeing Zabuza glaring down at him. "Z-Zabuza!"

"Don't you dare touch her," he growled, using the flat of his blade to knock the businessman aside. She helped Haku up. "Haku, can you fight?" The black haired girl looked up at Zabuza in surprise. "D-don't look at me like that. Answer my question." Haku smiled, and produced a number of senbon.

"Of course, Zabuza-sama." Zabuza nodded, and faced Gatou.

"H-hey," the short man stuttered. "We can talk about this. I'll give you all the money you need. Anything you need. We can be partners."

"You really annoy me, you know that, Gatou?" He lifted the small man with his free hand. He held him over the ocean, making Gatou squirm. He tried kicking Zabuza, but he couldn't reach. "Hope you can swim, Gatou. Tell the Shinigami that he'll have to wait longer before I join him." With that, he let go, letting Gatou fall to the dephts below "Let's go, Haku. That brat is waiting for us." The two shunshined.

(With Naruto)

Naruto and Kakashi were slashing mercenaries left and right, preventing them from going any further. Naruto found himself back to back with Kakashi. Catching his breath, he said, "Just how many people are here, Kakashi-sensei?" The Jounin looked around.

"About a hundred," he replied. "We'll just have to fight our way through." Suddenly, a familiar red head appeared next to Naruto.

"Momo-chan," the blonde mumbled. The girl laughed.

"Couldn't let you have all the fun~" Momo sang. At that moment, Zabuza and Haku arrived.

"We're here," Zabuza announced. "Everyone ready?"

"We're ready," Naruto replied. "Alright. Let's raise hell!" The mercenaries charged the ninjas, proving it to be the most idiotic thing they had ever done. Naruto and Momo were the first to act, summoning their weapons. The blonde used the ball of his weapon to quickly knock out the advancing soldiers, while Momo began incapacitate them. "Momo!" Naruto wrapped the bijuu in chains, and proceeded to spin her around. Momo raised her scythe, and used it to hit anyone that went in her way. Kakashi went next, using nothing but his kunai to cut down his foes. With his Sharingan, everyone seemed slow down. Ducking to avoid Momo, he went through hand signs ending with the tiger sign. The mercenaries tensed, making Kakashi grin under mask.

He shunshined behind the nearest opponent, and yelled, "Sennen Goroshi!" Everyone watched in surprise, as Kakashi's attack hit, making even Zabuza cringe. Kakashi glared at a random mercenary, and the man backed up.

"You're one sick man," the Nuke-nin said, before taking his Zanbato in hand "Haku!" The girl went through seals.

"Makyō Hyōshō(Demonic Ice Mirrors)!" She yelled!" 3 dozen mercenaries soon found themselves trapped in a dome of ice mirrors, with Zabuza inside. The Nuke-nin grinned, revealing a set of shark-like teeth.

"Kirigakure(Hidden Mist) no jutsu!" Using the remains of his Suiryudan, Zabuza created a shroud of mist that obscured the area. "You should've never crossed the 'Demon of the Mist.'" Zabuza used his Silent Killing to quickly kill all of Gatou's men. As the Mist cleared, it showed the Zanbato wielder in the middle of a floor of bodies. Haku ended her jutsu, and ran up to the Nuke-nin.

"Over here!" A man yelled. "I found Tazuna and a girl!" A group of Gatou's men began to run towards the soldier, catching Naruto's attention.

"Shit," he yelled. "They're going for Sakura and the others!" The Jinchuuriki let go of Momo, and shunshined to the pink haired girl.

(With Sakura)

Sakura went in front of Tazuna, with kunai in hand. "Please stand back," she warned the bridge builder. The men around her, started to move forward. The girl threw the weapon at one man piercing his chest. She drew another kunai. There were still about 10 more people, and she couldn't take them all out. Just as one was about to cut her down, a familiar sight of Naruto appeared in front of her. "Naruto!" She was about to go to him, when something caught her eye. Sticking from Naruto's back, was a blade.

"Got here in time," he sighed. He took hold of the blade, and pulled it out quickly. Using his fire, Naruto melted the sword, to the mercenaries' surprise. The melted metal littered the ground, in a silver mess. "It's an amazing power, is it not? Flames as powerful as this." He looked up from the liquid metal, and stared at the man. The mercenary looked at Naruto's red eye, seeing what looked like a storm of fire. His other eye looked dead, the pupil turning a dark shade of red. Sakura watched in surprise, as fire started to rise around Naruto like a pillar. The blood that Naruto had spilled rose, and also turned into fire. "You might want to back up," she heard the blonde warn. "I.. c-can't control.. what's about to happen!" Sakura backed away in time, taking Tazuna and Sasuke with her. The pillar of Fire rose to the skies, opening a hole through the clouds. The soldiers around him were disintegrated.

(With Kakashi, and the others)

Everyone were amazed, as they saw a fire pillar split the clouds. Even the mercenaries stopped what they were doing. "What is that?" Kakashi yelled, fearing the worst. Behind him, Momo fell to her knees, clutching her chest. "Momo-san!" It was at that moment, that a dark feeling swept through the area. "Th-this Chakra! It's!" A loud roar was heard, making them cover their ears.

"What's happening?" Zabuza asked, appearing next to the Jounin. Momo was breathing heavily, and looked feverishly. He eyed the pillar, and saw something that confirmed her dreadful feeling. "Kakashi, look!" Everyone looked in surprise as a large figure emerged from the pillar. It was what looked like a a fox, made purely of crimson fire. As the large beast walked out from the pillar, it created imprints in the bridge.

"This is bad," Momo wheezed, catching everyone's attention. "N-Naruto-kun...He's gone into a state...of self protection. I've seen him do th-this only one other time. From what I've seen, Naruto-kun only goes through this, when his body experiences a large amount of damage. In this state, he will continue to rampage like that, while his body heals."

"But at this rate, he'll completely destroy the damned bridge!" The fox swept it's paw, taking out a portion of the bridge, and a dozen soldiers with it. This made the other mercenaries run away. "We have to calm him down somehow." Momo weakly looked up at the fox that was Naruto.

"V-very well. I require you to take me to Naruto-kun." Momo struggled to stay up. "Kakashi." The Jounin nodded, and helped the red head stand up. "Go." The two disappeared in a shunshin, rushing towards the large fox. Kakashi used debris to get higher ground. "Try to get on top of that crane," Momo instructed, pointing towards the tall machine. "Once you've done that, all you'll need to do is drop me onto Naruto-kun."

"Got it," Kakashi replied. "But how are you going to calm Naruto-san?"

"Just trust me!" She snapped, leaving no time for argument. Leaving it at that, the Jounin did as the girl said, and used Chakra to run up the crane. They could see Naruto charging quickly. The fox left a trail of fire as it dashed across the bridge. "Please hurry." Kakashi picked up speed, and soon reached the top the machine. "Now. Drop me." Momo found herself in the air, dropping towards the fox. As she fell, she began to go through hand seals. "N-Naruto-kun. Please wake up. "Kyuubi Kosoku(Nine Tails Restraint)!" Momo entered the flames, finding Naruto's body in the head of the fox. Touching the boy's stomach, Naruto began to twitch. His seal began to glow, along with his left eye. "Wake up!" pressing his seal further, the glow became brighter. The fox's body began to disappear into Naruto's eye, starting with the head.

"Amazing!" Kakashi muttered. "She was able to calm the Kyuubi Chakra. But how?" The fox's roar was soon replaced with Naruto's screams. Momo held his body close, trying to calm the blonde down. She whispered words into his ear. Soon, all of the fire that had possessed the Jinchuuriki was gone. The two fell to the ground in a thud. "Naruto-san! Momo-san!" The red head sat up, and lifted Naruto's torso. Naruto opened his eyes, to see everyone looking at him.

"What is it?" He asked, rubbing his eyes. "Did something happen?"

"You're kidding," Zabuza replied. "Did you really not remember what you did?" Naruto looked confused. The Nuke-nin motioned to the imprints on the bridge, that caught Naruto's attention. The shape of it seemed familiar. Suddenly, it hit him. He reached to his eye, to find that there was no cloth over it.

"Oh yeah. I was trying to protect Sakura, and then..." He put his hand over his stomach, and saw that it was still bleeding. "It happened again, didn't it Momo?" The red head nodded grimly. At that moment, Sasuke's body twitched. The raven haired boy slowly sat up, and rubbed his eyes.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said. "You're awake."

"Well I wasn't dead," Sasuke replied.

The blonde looked to Sasuke, and grinned. "Good to have you back man. You look like hell." The Uchiha also grinned.

"You're one to talk." The two laughed, until Naruto noticed something.

Naruto looked around. "Where are the mercenaries?"

"Right here," a male voice said. The group looked towards the voice, and saw the remaining mercenaries. "Now that that storm has calmed, we can finish you all off. You can't have much Chakra left, so we can pick you off easily! And after that, we'll raid the village, and take anything of value. Especially after you killed our meal ticket!" The others yelled in agreement.

"He's right," Kakashi said. "We don't have much Chakra left." At that moment, an arrow embedded itself at the ground in front of the mercenaries. Everyone traced the origin of the projectile, and found an amazing sight. There, on the beginning of the bridge was Inari, and behind him, the whole village. Each person had a weapon ranging from blades, to frying pans. One person even had a rock. Inari had on a helmet, and was equipped with a crossbow. On his back was a backpack full of arrows.

"Inari!" Tazuna soflty exclaimed. He weakly laughed, and had tears in his eyes. "You..."

"Naruto-niisan!" The dark haired boy yelled. "A hero shows up at the last second, right?" Naruto nodded, and slowly stood up.

"I can help too!" he said. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Using what little Chakra he had left, he summoned a dozen clones. The mercenaries tensed. Kakashi followed his student's technique.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he whispered. "Kakashi Version. An lot of Kakashi clones appeared, next to Naruto's. "You want some of this?"

"No!" the mercenaries yelled, running away. "I didn't expect them to still have this much fight in them! Let's get out of here!" The mercenaries escaped to the ships, and sailed away. Seeing them go away, the villagers cheered. They had just taken their village back. It was the start of the liberation of Nami.

(2 weeks later)

"What?" Naruto exclaimed, pointing at Haku. She no longer had her kimono on, and now donned a white sleeveless dress with snowflake patterns. The dress went down to her knees. On her arms were matching arm warmers. He also noticed that her chest was a bit larger, not that he was staring. "You-you-you're a girl?" Momo crossed her arms, and rolled her eyes. Haku lightly blushed, and turned away from the now fully healed blonde.

"I thought it would be obvious," she replied.

"But I thought you were just a pretty boy!" Zabuza laughed.

"Everyone did," he said. "I was actually surprised that everyone believed me when I said that Haku was a boy." Kakashi walked in the room. "It worked to our advantage, I suppose."

"So Zabuza-san," he began. "What are you going to do now? Gatou is dead." The Nuke-nin thought about it, and sighed.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "Gatou was the one that kept the Hunter-nins away, so without him, we're probably going to be on the run again." The news made Haku sad. neither of them liked having to hide from the Hunter-nins.

"Wait," Naruto exclaimed. "We can't just let them be hunted. There has to be something we can do! How about we take them back to Konoha?"

"I don't think it's that simple," the Jounin said. Naruto persisted.

"Hokage-jiji told me that if a Nuke-nin was to swear loyalty to a Hidden Village, the leader of the village would provide a home for the ninja, and keep the Hunter-nins away. Of course the Ninja would be watched by ANBU 24/7 to ensure that they don't do anything that endangers the village. So we can take them to Konoha, right?" Kakashi thought it over.

"You seem to know a lot of the jobs of the Hokage, Naruto-san." The blonde grinned and scratched his head. "I guess that could work. What do you think, Zabuza-san? Haku-san?"

"If it means having a home," Zabuza replied. "We'll take it." He looked at his adoptive daughter, who nodded in agreement. Kakashi sighed.

"Very well then. Naruto, go get Sasuke and Sakura." The blonde nodded, and went to find his teammates.

"Soooo," Momo said to Haku. "Haku was it? I'm Momo." She held out her hand towards the black haired girl. Haku shook her hand.

"Haku," she replied. "Nice to meet you." There was an awkward silence between them. Naruto arrived, with his teammates, catching their attention.

"Here they are," he announced, with his hands behind his head. Naruto noticed Momo and Haku looking at him. "What is it?" The two girls looked at each other, and then the opposite direction.

"Nothing," they said in unison. The blonde tilted his head in confusion, and shrugged.

(A couple of hours later)

Team 7 along with Momo, Haku and Zabuza met with Tazuna's family, and the all the villagers.

"Thanks to you," Tazuna started, "We've completed the bridge. But...this is super sad. That is to say, thank you for everything." Naruto flashed his infamous fox grin.

"Don't worry!" he assured. "We'll come back to visit!" He saw Inari tearing up.

"You...better," the kid mumbled, sniffling.

"Inari, you're sad right? It's alright to cry."

"I'm not going to cry! But it's okay if you do!" The blonde smiled softly, and turned around.

"Alright. See ya, Inari." With that, the group began to walk away from the now free village. Everyone waved at them, asking them to visit soon, and saying that they were the heroes of Wave. When they were gone, Tazuna smiled.

"The boy changed Inari's heart," he announced, motioning towards the crying boy. "And Inari changed the people's hearts. That boy gave us a bridge of hope and courage. Bridge...That's right, we need to name this bridge. Well, I have a super perfect name for the bridge. From now on, this bridge will be named, 'The Great Naruto Bridge,' from the boy who freed this village from it's depression. Yeah...That's a good game."

"You sure about that name?" a villager asked.

"Hehe. This name is in hope that this bridge will never crumble, and will one day become a super famous bridge who's name is known throughout the world."

(With Team 7)

"Naruto?" Sakura asked. "Are you crying?" Th blonde looked up.

"Huh?" He replied. He wiped his eye. "Oh. No. No I'm not." Meanwhile, Momo was looking at him with concern from the corner of her eyes.

* * *

><p>Chapter 14 is done<p>

So here are the abilities of Naruto's Kitsune no Me:

Complete mastery of Momo's fire. Examples are making it avoid things, or feel cold while still being able to burn.

Being able to create fire without using Jutsus.

When Naruto is severely injured(Like a hole in his shoulder, and a sword to this stomach), his fire will take control, taking form of a large fox. This is a state of self protection, giving time to Naruto as he heals.

Enhancement to all Fire Jutsu.

Review/Flame


	15. Back to Konoha

Chapter 15 up, hope you tolerate it.

From the book of epicness, it reads, "My drill is the drill that pierces the heavens!"

Ugh...people are complaining about Sakura, and to be honest, I'm starting to agree with them. Though I didn't really want her in the Harem, I wasn't going to write her as a fangirl like most stories. I've read too many of those, where she goes. "You will never be like Sasuke-kun! Just die!" and I'm pretty bored with it. Even if she's in the harem or not, she'll still have the same personality as right now. What's wrong with her being different? It's Fanfiction.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Get ready for randomness in some parts!

* * *

><p>(A few miles away from Konoha)<p>

"Naruto-kun," Momo said, catching the boy's attention. "What happened to that cloth I gave you? For your eye." Naruto was confused for a while, until he remembered.

"Oh, yeah," he replied, taking out the eye patch-like cloth that Momo had given her. He was wondering why travelers were looking at him strangely. "Still got it here." He began to put it on. "Almost forgot it. Thanks for reminding me." The others watched the conversation not knowing what they were talking about.

"Um," Haku interrupted. "Naruto-san? What is that eye patch for, exactly? Can't you see with your other eye?" Though he seemed to be a sharp shooter with only one eye.

"I can, actually. The purpose of this thing is to suppress the fire in my eye. If I don't wear it, then I might burn a whole town to the ground." The blonde relished in the surprise on everyone minus Momo's face. "But don't worry. I've also been training to keep my fire from going out of control." Although his mind was elsewhere. Thinking back to when he had gone berserk, Naruto felt that he had much to learn. "That's the plan anyways."

"How come you never told us you had a Kekkei Genkai(Bloodline Limit)?" Kakashi asked.

"It's not really a Kekkei Genkai, Kakashi-sensei. If this was one, then there would've probably been records of it somewhere. I would've found out about my family, whoever they are." Kakashi's eye softened at the mention of Naruto's family. The blonde forcibly shrugged it off. "Oh well. You know, after I did some deep looking through certain methods, I found out that there was some sort of seal that had been placed on my eye."

"A seal?" The blonde nodded.

"Yeah. It looks like whoever was with me when I was born, they had some reason to seal a bunch of fire in my eye." Naruto finished with a shrug.

"Maybe that's why you're so _hot_-headed," Sasuke joked, making Zabuza facepalm.

He sighed, and said, "Lame joke, kid." Naruto looked around, and pointed to something in front of them.

"There! We're close to Konoha! Come on, Momo!" Taking the fox-girl's hand, to her surprise, Naruto shunshined to the gates. Kakashi sighed.

"He's so excitable," he said, grabbing the top of Sasuke's and Sakura's head. "Please keep up, Zabuza-san." With that, The Jounin followed Naruto's actions, and disappeared with his students. They were soon followed by Zabuza and Haku.

(Konoha Gates)

"Hey Izumo," a dark haired man said to the person next to him. "Can't we take a break from this? It's clear to see that no one is going to come here." The man next to him, a man with brown hair covered by a Konoha bandanna sighed.

"You can't just abandon post to go and eat your syrup all day long," he replied. "You've got to be more serious about your job, Kotetsu. You'll never know when a person will try and get into Konoha. The Hokage-sama told us to guard this place, so we're guarding it." Kotetsu groaned in annoyance.

"Alright, let's make a deal. If someone appears the moment I step out of this shed, I will take my job more seriously. Heck, I'll even stop eating honey for a week." The dark haired man held his hand out to his partner. The other rolled his eyes and shook it.

"It's a deal then. If no one comes, then you can take a break." Satisfied, Kotetsu stood up. As he was about to step outside of the small fort, Naruto and Momo appeared. Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke, Zabuza, and Haku soon followed. "You loooose," Izumo droned with a grin. "Now get back to your job." Naruto noticed Kotetsu's heavily animated face. He was crying rivers. "He just lost a bet that if someone didn't appear the moment he stepped out, he could take a break. But since you appeared, he has to stay and is now forbidden from eating his precious honey." Naruto made a fake gasp. "But beside that, I do believe that this is Kakashi's team, returning from their mission at Wave." He looked to the side, and noticed Zabuza, and Haku. "A Nuke-nin!" Kotetsu and Izumo sprang into action, but were stopped by Kakashi.

"He's in our custody," Kakashi informed calmly. "Please open the gate, so we can report our return to Hokage-sama." The two hesitated, but obliged to the Jounin's request. Once the gates were open, the team made their way towards the Hokage Tower. Naruto waved goodbye to the two, while apologizing to Kotetsu in silent. As they were walking inside the village, Naruto suddenly stopped, and looked around.

"Naruto?" Sakura asked. "What is it?"

"If I'm correct, then..." He jumped to the left, before a kunai could pierce his body. "I knew it!"

"Sen'eijashu(Hidden Shadow Snake Hands)!" a voice said. Everyone watched in disbelief as 3 snakes began to wrap themselves around Naruto's waist. The fact that his arms were tighly pinned to his waist meant that he couldn't free himself. The boy was pulled backwards, and was dragged in front of a purple haired woman. "Stop squirming, gaki, this is my welcome back present!" Naruto stopped moving, and looked up to see Anko with a stick of dango in her free hand...He could see up her skirt. "Say 'ah!'"

"I wanted ramen, not dango." Anko's hand twitched, and the snakes' grip tightened. Naruto grunted.

"Look, we can get ramen later. Just open up." Scoffing, Naruto opened his mouth to let Anko feed him. "There you go!" She dispelled her Jutsu, and proceeded to grab the blonde in a headlock. "Now you have some explaining to do. Where the hell have you been this past month?"

"Uh...Now's not the time, Mitar-" He noticed Anko's glare. "I mean Anko-chan. We kinda have to get to the Hokage Tower." After a few seconds, the snake lady decided to let him go. She wore a pout that was beyond someone her age. "I'll tell you about the mission later."

"You better!" she exclaimed, as Naruto went back to his team. As he went back to his teammates, he noticed the stares that they were giving him. They looked at him, then towards Anko, and back to him.

"Gaki," Zabuza said. "I envy you." Naruto's eyebrow raised, wondering what he was talking about.

(Hokage Tower)

"Hokage-jiji!" Naruto exclaimed, slamming the doors open. The old man barely had time to hide whatever was in his hand, before the blonde ran up to his desk. "Eh? Is that another book, Jii-san? You know I already finished the one you gave me."

"I-I don't know what your talking about," Sarutobi replied, sealing the book in a secret compartment. He stood up, and walked to the others. "I see you are back. I was worried when a messenger bird informed me of the two nuke-nins. So how was it, Naruto-kun? Your first real mission." Naruto gave his authority figure a genuine grin.

"It was awesome! I haven't had so much fun in so long!" The Hokage couldn't help but grin at the jinchuuriki's happiness. "Isn't that right? Sasuke? Sakura?" The two nodded.

"Hokage-sama," Kakashi said. "I have some things to say about our mission. Some things that may need to be answered." He glanced at Naruto. "Also, we have some guests." Kakashi signaled for the two assassins to come in." Sarutobi scratched his chin, and nodded.

"Very well. Naruto-kun. I'll have to ask you to leave. Please bring your teammates with you." Naruto pouted, but did as he was asked. Once the door closed, Kakashi began to re-tell the story of their mission to Sarutobi. He made sure that the old man was informed of Naruto's sudden power burst, along with the details of his left eye. All the while, Sarutobi was thinking of the reasons for Naruto's actions. "So it seems that hidden behind Naruto-kun's left eye, is a massive amount of fire, under his full control, am I correct?"

"That's not all," Haku interrupted. "It's not just controlling the path of his flames. He's able to control things like the shape, and the temperature, and even its nature." The Hokage took notice on the one next to Zabuza. He almost couldn't believe that she was a former assassin.

"And you are?" Sarutobi asked. Haku bowed.

"Sorry. I'm Haku." The Hokage looked at Zabuza.

"And if I'm correct, you are Momochi Zabuza, former Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū(Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist) member, correct? I was unaware that you had a daughter."

"She's not related to me," Zabuza replied, a bit embarrassed in admitting his fatherly relation with Haku. "More like I adopted her."

"I see. And what is your reason for being here?"

"The blonde brat said that If I swear absolute loyalty to Konoha, then even someone like could have a home. So I agreed. Haku and I are tired of running away."

"Naruto-kun, huh? It seems he really has been studying. Well he's right. If you plan to stay in Konoha, then I have some papers you'll need to fill out, along with a contract, swearing your loyalty to this village. Just know that if you attempt to do what you did with the Mizukage, you will be disposed of without a second thought...And since you two are his responsibility, I'm afraid Naruto-kun will not get off so easily. Knowing this, please follow me." The two followed the leader to his desk, where he handed the two assassins papers on their information. He also had a contract in which the two, including the Hokage had to swipe some of their blood on the paper. "Now there are some complications, mostly about where you'll be staying. Is there a certain place you'd like to be?"

"Somewhere near the brat," Zabuza answered. Haku nodded in agreement. Hiruzen stroked his beard and nodded.

"Oh. For that, I'll need to send someone with you. Tenzo!" An ANBU ninja jumped down from almost immediately. Zabuza instantly gripped his zanbato "Calm down, Zabuza-san. Tenzo here, is going to help you get settled in." The man knelt to his leader. The ANBU had short brown hair. He wore the standard attire of a member of the ANBU, with a sword strapped to his back. On his shoulder was the mark of the ANBU, confirming his rank. The people could not see his face due to the cat-like mask that covered it. "Tenzo, find Naruto-kun and let him lead you to his house."

"Right," Tenzo replied, standing up. He looked towards Kakashi and stopped in his tracks. "Senpai!" The Jounin waved his hand in front of him.

"Now, now. I'm not an ANBU member anymore. No need to call me that."

"Go," Sarutobi ordered. Tenzo nodded, and motioned Zabuza and Haku to follow him. Once the three were out of sight and hearing, Kakashi approached the Hokage seriously.

"Hokage-sama," he said. "There's something I have to tell you about the mission. Can you..." Sarutobi nodded and snapped his fingers. Kakashi felt multiple presences leave the room, giving it an emptier feeling. Even so, Kakashi spoke in a hushed voice. "While we were fighting Zabuza-san, I felt _it's_ Chakra." The Hokage nodded grimly. "I was worried that he had been possessed, but it seems that he had control of the Chakra. Like he was training with it. Also, about his eye. He told me as we were coming here, that he found a seal. A seal that was able to capture all that fire. You don't think that-" Sarutobi held up a hand.

"Kakashi-kun. Sometimes, things are better left a mystery. For now, let's see how things play out."

"...Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Dismissed."

(With Naruto)

Naruto and Momo were walking towards the Forest of Death, when a figure appeared in front of them. "Naruto-san," a male voice said. From the mask, Naruto could tell that the man was an ANBU member. Behind him, Zabuza and Haku were walking towards him. Haku waved at the blonde. "Sorry for troubling you, but Hokage-sama has asked me to ask you to lead us to your house so that I can provide Haku-san and Zabuza-san with a house." The blonde looked at the three, and sighed.

"Alright," he replied. "Though I don't know why they want to live next to me."

"We don't know anyone else," Haku said. "Sorry, Naruto-san." Naruto gave her a small smile.

"It's alright. Follow me." Naruto led them towards the Forest of Death, to Tenzo's surprise. When he asked him about it, Naruto simply replied with "My house is in the forest." He walked inside. "It won't take very long to get there. About 5 minutes. And don't worry about the animals. If you show them that you're stronger, they leave you alone." He noticed a bear tearing up a piece of meat. "Oi, Kuma! That piece is mine!" He ran towards the bear, and the two began to engage in a fist fight. Everyone except Momo watched in amazement and shock, as Naruto was able to pick up the bear and throw it on it's back. "Get out of here, Kuma!" After the bear left, Naruto ran back to the others. "Sorry about that. He usually tries to steal from me." Haku, Zabuza and Tenzo were too stunned to speak, although no one could see Tenzo's face. "Well, let's keep going." He led the three towards twists and turns, and avoiding traps and other animals.

"How much longer?" Zabuza asked sleepily. The left side of his body was riddled with tiny needles. Any contact with the needles with the bloodstream caused the person to sleep.

"Don't worry," Naruto replied. "My house is right there." He pointed to where a bunch of trees clustered. "Home, sweet home. So, how are we making their house, ANBU-san? Momo and I can get the wood if you want." Tenzo raised his hand to stop Naruto.

"No need, Naruto-san." He walked towards a large clearing. "Would this be a good place, Zabuza-san?"

"For what?"

"I'm going to build your house here. Please stand back. "Mokuton(Wood Release): Shichūrō(Four Pillar Prison) no Jutsu." A large house rose from the ground, made completely out of wood. It was a 2 floor house with the second being smaller with a balcony. The roof curved down, which was good for rainy days. "That should be big enough. It has a lot of room, and can hold up to 14 people. I'll bring in the supplies needed for the inside, so please wait."

"Wait!" Naruto exclaimed as the ANBU was about to go. "The Mokuton. I thought only the Shodaime(First) Hokage had that Kekkei Genkai. So why do you have it?" Tenzo paused for a while.

"I'd explain it to you, but you wouldn't understand." With that, he left.

(Next day)

Naruto woke up, with the feeling of something on his head. As he opened his eyes, he saw the color red. "Momo-chan," He said. "Are you trying to suffocate me?" The blonde reached up to his face, and picked up Fox Momo. He sat up, and started to lightly shake the bijuu awake. "Wake up." The fox opened her eyes, and let out a cute sniffle.

"What is it?" Momo asked. "Can't you see that I'm sleeping?"

"It's time to wake up. We got to get to the team." Momo ignored him, and began to sleep again. Naruto scowled. "Fine then." The blonde stood up, and set the fox down inside a box. "Stay." He closed the box, and began to change his clothes. "I should probably check up on Zabuza-san and Haku-san. See if they've gotten used to their new house." After putting on his black shirt, he jumped up to the entrance of his house. The former Nuke-nin's house was only a couple yards away. As he stepped inside, he was surprised at how luxurious it was. The walls were full of paintings and other trinkets. The electrical appliances were powered by sealed Raiton Chakra. There were also cushions, and tables. Zabuza was sitting down cross-legged with a cup of tea in his hands. Kubikiribōchō was lying next to him. Naruto also noticed the bunny that he had almost killed lying next to the Nuke-nin

"Blondie," The Nuke-nin greeted. "Morning." He took a sip of his tea. Naruto found it strange seeing the man in a yukata. What was he, a samurai? "Shouldn't you be with your team?" Naruto nodded. "Well what are you doing here then?"

"I was seeing if you were settled in," Naruto replied. "Looks like you are." Awkward silence...

"Anything else?"

"Nah. Guess I should go now." He was about to exit the house, when Zabuza stood up.

"Wait, wait! I almost forgot. You mind taking Haku with you? She's pretty bored upstairs." He pointed to the stairs. Naruto shrugged, and walked up. He found Haku leaning on the balcony with a bored face.

"Hey," Naruto greeted. Haku looked behind her shoulder, and saw the blonde. The sight of him brought a smile to her face.

"Hey," she replied. "Good Morning, Naruto-san. Why are you here?"

"Zabuza-san told me you were bored, so do you want to come with me to my team?"

"Sure. I'm glad you asked." The two walked downstairs, saying goodbye to Zabuza on the way. They were able to exit the forest without any interruptions, and soon met up with Sakura and Sasuke, who were leaning against a fence. The two noticed Naruto and Haku, and waved at them.

"Hey," Naruto greeted. "Let me guess, the scarecrow's late?" Sasuke scoffed.

"For 30 minutes," he replied. "Hm? Isn't that Zabuza's daughter?" Naruto looked back at Haku, and scratched his head.

"Well, she was bored, so I took her with me."

"Where's Momo-san?" Sakura asked.

"Somewhere." His mind went to the box he had placed her in.

(3 Hours later)

"Hey guys," Kakashi exclaimed with an eye smile. "I got lost!"

"Stop lying!" Everyone yelled, making Kakashi sweat.

"So what are we doing today?" Naruto asked eagerly. "Another C-rank? Better be good. I want something fun to do." Kakashi waved his hand to calm down the excited blonde. "Oh, and Haku-san is here. I guess I can give her a tour of the village while we do missions." Kakashi looked at the black haired girl, who waved at the Jounin.

"I see. Well, let's go." Team 7 began with their day's missions, doing the normal D-rank missions, to their dismay. Although there were some missions involving thieves. All the while, Naruto was showing Haku around, taking her to places like the Tetsuha Weapons store, and the Ramen Store. He also made sure she knew how to get to the Hokage Tower. "Let's see...where is that darn cat. Anyone find her yet?" The five were instructed to find Tora again, making everyone except Haku pissed off. "Haku-san, if you accompany our team often, you'll find that finding Tora will be the most frustrating mission." Haku laughed awkwardly at the concept of a cat being frustrating. Little did she know that she was going to eat her words. It had been 2 hours since they had gotten the mission, and they were chasing the cat through the town.

"How long is this going to take?" Haku whined, trying to catch up with the cat. "I'm getting tired."

"Hey," Naruto replied. "At least your not bored. Although I wish Momo was here. She'd catch this cat faster." He tried to catch Tora with his Kusarigama, but ended up slicing up a cabbage vendor's cart. "Sorry!" He exclaimed, dropping a bag of ryo to pay for the damages. Sasuke was about to use a Katon Jutsu, when Naruto stopped him. "Oi, oi, oi! We're supposed to catch Tora, not fry her. Although..."

"I wasn't going to," the raven haired boy replied. He channeled Chakra to his feet to gain more speed.

"Hey," Sakura said to Haku. "Do you think you can use your Hyoton to maybe freeze Tora?"

"I don't know," she replied. "Let me give it a try." She sent a blast of pure Ice Chakra towards the cat, making it follow Tora. As soon as it touched her tail, it froze and started to spread across her body. Soon, Tora was frozen where she stood. Team 7 quickly caught the cat.

"Kosoku(Restraint) no Jutsu," Naruto said, making sure Tora wouldn't get away. "Alright, Sasuke, now you can use your Katon." The Uchiha nodded, and proceeded to slowly melt the ice. The blonde turned to the two girls. "Wow! Nice going, Haku-san. And Sakura-san. Good idea!" The two girls smiled at the praise. "Now, let's take this cat to Hokage-jiji." Team 7 and Haku nodded, and they went to the tower.

(Hokage tower)

"That's quite an amount of missions," Iruka noted, going through Team 7's records for the day." Kakashi handed the scroll for Tora to the Chuunin. "And is this the latest one? Let's see. Ah, the capture of Tora. Still running away, huh?" Everyone weakly laughed. It was then that Iruka noticed Haku. "New member?" Naruto shook his head.

"Nah," he answered. "I was just showing her around, and it ended up with her helping us. Anyways, she's Haku. A friend."

"Nice to meet you," Haku said, bowing her head.

"Same here," Iruka replied. "Well, let's get your records updated...There." He looked at Kakashi. "Are you going to be requesting another mission?" The Jounin shook his head.

"That's all," he responded. "Alright, team dismissed. We'll meet again tomorrow." Naruto sighed in relief, followed by the others.

"Come on," Naruto said to Haku. "I'll show you other places you can go to. You want to come with us, Sasuke?"

"Sorry, Naruto. I gotta train at my compound." The blonde looked at Sakura.

"I have to help Ino out with her job," she replied." Naruto shrugged, and motioned Haku to follow him.

(Later)

"...And that's the Hot Springs," Naruto explained, pointing to a building. "Watch out for perverts though. I hear they're getting more frisky." Haku nodded in understanding. Since she was disguised as a boy, she never experienced such things.

"I see," she said, before leaning to his ear. "By the way, what's with that box that's following us?" Naruto used his peripherals to see the box Haku mentioned. It was poorly drawn to match the ground.

"Is that supposed to be a rock?" Naruto whispered back. Haku shrugged. Naruto heard giggling inside the box, making him sigh. He knew who was inside. Going to the box, Naruto gave it a little kick. "Get out of there, Konohamaru." After a moment of silence, the "rock" was lifted, revealing 3 small kids. 2 boys and a girl. The middle boy, Konohamaru, had short spiky brown hair and black eyes. He wore a yellow shirt with the Konoha symbol in red, grey shorts, and a long blue scarf. On his head, were goggles. The other boy with short combed brown hair. He looked very sickly, with a string of snot hanging from his nose. The wore a dark blue shirt, light blue pants, and the same goggles. The girl, like the others, wore goggles. She had orange hair tied up, with red elastics, into two very large pigtails. She also has red oval markings on her cheeks. The girl wears a red tank-top over a pink t-shirt layered at the bottom; her pants are grey and she wears the traditional ninja sandals. "Oh, you brought some friends." Naruto had met the boy Konohamaru, some years ago, while he was still in the academy.

(Flashback inside a flashback)

Naruto was standing above the Hokage Tower. Without anything on his forehead, his bangs were littering his his face. In front of him was a photographer.

"Are you sure you want to take a picture like that?" the man asked. Naruto's face was painted in a fashion similar to that of a toad.

"It's alright," the boy replied. "Just do it." The photographer shrugged, and took the picture.

(Flashback)

Sarutobi was currently looking turning at Naruto's picture with a deadpan face. "I think it looks awesome," Naruto beamed, with his arms crossed behind his head. He truly believed it. He waited for the Hokage's reply. "Hokage-jiji? What do you t-"

"Retake it," Sarutobi ordered. "And where is your Head Protector?" Naruto smiled. It was true that he wasn't wearing his Hitai-ate at the moment. The blonde was currently using goggles to hold up his bangs.

"I'm saving it for tomorrow. Can't let it get damaged now." Sarutobi sighed.

"Naruto-kun, the Ninja Registration Book lists all those with high ability. I'd have thought that you would be serious about it."

"I am." Naruto sighed. "Fine, I'll retake it. But only if you buy me more ramen." Iruka and Sarutobi laughed.

"Only you would demand something like that from the leader of the village," Iruka chuckled. Everyone shared a laugh. At that moment, Naruto heard the door open. He was surprised, when a small boy wearing a helmet barged in the room with a wooden shuriken. Sarutobi sighed.

"Fight me!" The little boy yelled, charging with the fake weapon. He could only take several steps, before he tripped on his scarf. Naruto had to hold back a laugh. The door opened again to reveal a man in the standard Konoha shinobi outfit, albeit without the flak jacket. He also wore his forehead protector like a bandanna. His eyes were covered by dark sunglasses. The boy got up. "Alright, who set up that trap?"

"There is no trap anywhere," the man exclaimed, running to the little boy.

"Hokage-jiji," Naruto called. "Who's the kid?" The bandana man looked towards Naruto, and grimace.

_'Oh, it's the Kyuubi_ _punk,'_ he thought._ "What the hell is he doing here?'_ Naruto noticed the man's face, and scowled. _'I better keep Konohamaru from-'_

"I know you did something!" Konohamaru exclaimed, pounding his fists on the blonde's side. Naruto put his hand on the boy's helmet, and stepped back. As much as he tried, Konohamaru couldn't get to the older kid. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

"You tripped on your own scarf," the blonde explained, kneeling down to see Konohamaru eye to eye. He began to wrap Konohamaru's scarf around the boy's neck to lessen the amount. He smiled lightly, before grinning and slamming his fist on the boy's helmet. "That was for calling me stupid, stupid!" The bandana man was appalled.

"How dare you lay your hands on the Hokage's precious grandson!" he yelled, making Naruto stop for a while. Meanwhile, Konohamaru's eyes were wide.

_'He hit me,'_ the boy thought. _'No one's ever done that before!'_

"As if I care," Naruto scoffed. "Anyways, I'm going now. See ya, Hokage-jiji." The old man waved the blonde goodbye.

(Flashback end)

In the end, Konohamaru begged Naruto to be his boss, making him teach the boy his own Oiroke(Sexy) Jutsu. After that, he claimed the blonde as his rival. "What's with the goggles?" Naruto asked. "And those two?"

"It's a homage to when we first met," Konohamaru explained. "And these two are my friends. The guy with the snot is Udon, and the girl is Moegi. Together, we are..." The three struck a pose, with Konohamaru crouching, Udon crossing his arms, and Moegi pointing to the left. "The Konohamaru Ninja Squad."...Naruto looked at them blankly, making the boy laugh awkwardly. "A-anyways, you promised us that we would play ninja." Haku giggled.

"Ninja?" she asked. "That takes me back. It was my favorite game." Konohamaru looked at Haku, and was immediately awe-struck.

"Naruto-niichan! Nice job!" The blonde tilted his head. What did he do to get a compliment?

"What?" he asked in confusion. Konohamaru pointed to Haku with a grin.

"That girl! She must be your..." he lifted his fist, and stuck out his pinky. A universal sign meaning "girlfriend." Haku was the first to react by becoming flustered. Naruto had never seen the girl blush before. Meanwhile, Naruto laughed awkwardly, and waved his hands in front of him.

"No, no! She's just a friend! I just met her!" Konohamaru looked at his former boss' behavior, and grinned. "Well, let's play! I'll give you a head start." He started to push the three. "Go on." He turned to Haku. "Sorry about him. You can play with us if you want." Haku hesitated, and began to follow the blonde.

(With Kakashi)

In the Hokage Tower, the Jounin handed over papers to Iruka. "Thank you for the reports," The Chuunin said. He looked at Kakashi with curiosity. "Kakashi-san. Is Naruto...doing well with his comrades?" He scratched his head. "It's just that...I've been busy lately. I haven't seen him since he got back. I'm kinda worried." The Jounin shrugged.

"He's doing fine," Kakashi replied. "Great actually. He and Sasuke see each other as rivals, and often mess with each other. But working together, they both improve a lot. Almost enough to surpass you." Iruka chuckled, knowing full well that it was possible.

"I-I see. That's great."

(With Naruto)

Naruto and Haku were chasing Konohamaru and his team across the village. The blonde made sure to go slow, to keep distance. Just as he was about to turn a corner, Naruto saw the boy fall down. "That hurt," a voice growled, catching Naruto's attention. There were two people standing above Konohamaru. A girl, and a boy. The boy wore a black, baggy, full body suit. He also wore a black hood with cat-like ears and his forehead protector on his forehead. His hood covered his hair completely. Looking closely, Naruto also noticed that he sported a triangular face-paint design. The girl next to him had dark green eyes and blond hair, which is gathered into four ponytails. Her outfit consisted of a single light purple-coloured, off-the-shoulders garment that extended to halfway down her thighs, with a scarlet sash tied around her waist. In addition to incorporating fishnet worn over her shoulders and legs, specifically on her right calf and her left thigh, she also wore her headband around her neck. Naruto saw the boy pick up the boy by his shirt. "That hurt, you little brat!"

"Don't!" The girl beside him warned. "We'll get in trouble, if you hit him."

"Hey," Naruto called. "Who the hell are you people?" The hooded boy glanced at Naruto.

"A leaf Genin." He let go of Konohamaru, who squirmed his way back to Naruto, and faced the blonde. "I guess we can play a little. Until the boss comes, of course."

(Hokage Tower)

"You've been assembled for one reason," Sarutobi announced, looking at a group of Jounin, Chuunin, and Tokubetsu Jounin. "It should be obvious by the members here." Kakashi sighed.

"It's that time already..." he droned. A ninja next to him nodded.

"It's already been reported to every countries," he noted. "I saw them in the village. So when is it?" The Hokage puffed a ring of smoke, and smiled.

"I'll announce it properly. Seven days from now. On the first day of the 7th moon. The Chuunin exam will commence!"

(With Naruto)

Naruto was the first to make a move, by taking several steps forward. In an instant, he disappeared in a shunshin. The hooded boy's eyes widened. He barely had time to raise his hands to block Naruto's punch. He released his free fist, which Naruto caught with ease. With swift movement, Naruto released him, and proceeded to punch the unknown intruder in the gut. He doubled over. The blonde took this time to grasp the boy's face, while simultaneously kicking his feet. The boy flipped backwards, and landed on his ass. Above him, Naruto grinned.

_'He took down Kankuro easily,'_ the girl noted in surprise.

"Why you!" Kankuro yelled, reaching for the bandaged object on his back. Before he could detach it, a rock hit him on the back of his head. "Agh! What is it now?" The foreign ninja rubbed his head, and turned around. On a tree, was Sasuke Uchiha, throwing a rock up and down in his hand.

"What are you guys doing in our village?" he demanded. Naruto scoffed.

"Trying to look cool?" he said. Sasuke smirked.

"Like you're one to talk." The two aimed their attention to the foreign ninjas again. "But I guess now's not the time to argue."

(Hokage Tower)

"First," the Hokage said. "First, we'll hear from those who are watching over the new Genins. Kakashi, Kurenai, and another Jounin stepped up. The man had brown eyes, short, black spiky hair and beard. His clothing consisted of the standard Konoha ninja uniform with the sleeves rolled up half way, flak jacket, regular shinobi sandals and Forehead Protector. He also wore a sash that had the kanji for "Fire" marked on it. Around his waist, he had a pair of black bangles and bandages wrapped around the arms of his sleeves. "Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma. Are there any Genin you want to enter the Chuunin exams? I don't have to tell you, but after a Genin has properly completed at least 8 mission, they may enter with the permission of their Sensei. Kakashi?" The Jounin stepped up.

"Team 7 led by Hatake Kakashi," he droned. "Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura. Under the name of Hatake Kakashi, I nominate them to take the Chuunin exam." Iruka's eyes widened. The other Jounin did the same, nominating their students to take the Exams.

"Hold on a second!" Iruka yelled, catching everyone's attention. "Please, Hokage-sama. Allow me to have a word." Sarutobi gave him a look, allowing him to speak. "Thank you. I may be speaking out of line, but most of these nine, were students of mine in the academy. Yes, they are talented, but it's too early for them to take the exam! They need more experience."

"I became a Chuunin when I was 6 years younger than Naruto."

"Naruto is different from you! Are you trying to crush these kids? The Chuunin exam is..."

"They are always complaining about the missions. Maybe some pain could be good for them. And who knows? Crushing them could be fun."

"What?" Kakashi scoffed.

"Relax, it was a joke. I understand your feelings. It might upset you, but please, stay out of this. They are not your students anymore." Iruka growled.

(Naruto)

"You should get out," Sasuke warned the two foreign ninjas. He looked at Naruto, but it seemed that he was looking at something else. Kankuro growled, and detatched the object from his back.

"You're going to use Karasu?" The girl asked.

"Hey you," Naruto called out, looking at the other side of the tree Sasuke was on. "Come out." Everyone looked to where Naruto was staring at. Standing upside down on a branch, was a boy with pale skin and short, spiky, auburn hair. He had pupil-less green eyes, with no distinctive eyebrows either. He had two very notable traits in his appearance: firstly, he had tanuki-like black eye rings. Secondly, he had the kanji "love" on the left side of his forehead. The boy wore black full body suit with t-shirt-like sleeves. With this, he wore a white cloth over his right shoulder and the left side of his hips, and a wide leather band system over the left shoulder and right side of his hips. With this leather band, he carried around strange looking gourd. He also wrapped his Forehead Protector over the band.

_'Gaara!'_ Kankuro yelled in his head.

"Kankuro," The red-head said in an emotionless, raspy voice. "You are an embarrassment to our village." The hooded boy, and the girl started to sweat. "Losing yourself in a fight. How pathetic. Why do you think we came to Konohagakure?"

"Ga-Gaara," Kankuro stuttered. "Listen. Temari saw what happened. They started it, an-"

"Shut up. I'll kill you." The black clad ninja started to apologize. Gaara locked his deathly gaze on Naruto. To everyone's surprise, a smile came to his face. A malicious one, but a smile all the same. The two other Suna-nin barely saw the boy like that. "You... I can feel it. Those eyes. I recognize the pain in them." While this meant nothing to Naruto, Sasuke, Haku, and Konohamaru's team, it surprised Kankuro and Temari. They stared at the blonde. "That can only mean that..." Gaara's face contorted into a psychotic grin. He released his grip with the wood, and He, straight down towards Naruto.

...

Naruto opened his eye, not realizing that he had closed them, to find that he was in a different place. He looked around, and was hit by a gust of wind. He felt sand pelt him. _'I must be hallucinating,'_ he thought. The reason for this, was the fact that Naruto found himself in the middle of a desert, standing on red...grass? The ground he was standing on, seemed familiar. It didn't feel like sand, or dirt, or concrete. It was kind of squishy.

_'Naruto-kun?'_ a voice resonated in his head.

"Momo-chan?" Naruto replied. "Is that you?"

_'Yeah...Are you seeing what I'm seeing?'_

"And what are you seeing?" Naruto asked. The "ground" began to move left and right.

_'I'm looking at a desert.'_ Naruto's eyes widened. He began to run, until he got to a declining slope. He slid down, and turned around to see red eyes staring at him.

"Momo-chan! You're in your Kyuubi form!" Momo's head nodded up and down, making him have to hold on to her fur. "Hey, don't move all of a sudden! You'll make me fall down."

_'Sorry,'_ Suddenly, the Bijuu noticed behind Naruto, that made her eyes widen. When the blonde turned around, he saw a silhouette of...something. It was large, almost the size of Momo, with one tail swishing side to side. _'No way! That's!'_ She began to walk, getting closer to the figure. As they got closer, Naruto noticed that the figure somewhat resembled a tanuki, with black markings all over its face, body, and tail, and a jagged, concave mouth. It opened it's eyes to reveal that sclera of its eyes were black, containing yellow irises with pupils that each takes the shape of a black four-pointed star with four black dots around it. Gaara was standing on top the tanuki's head, with his arms crossed, and his eyes fixed on Naruto. _'Naruto-kun. The beast in front of you, is Ichibi(One tailed) no Shukaku.'_ The tanuki grinned, somewhat similar to Gaara's. Naruto was surprised.

'_Long time no see,'_ a new voice sneered. _'Momo-oneechan.'_ The beast let out a loud maniacal cackle.

"It looks like I was right," Gaara said in his emotionless voice. "Another carrier." His last words held a sort of relief. Suddenly, the two entities were pushed away from each other, and the world turned dark again.

Temari, Kankuro, Sasuke and Haku were surprised, when Gaara never hit Naruto. The two jinchuuriki were separated by Naruto's fire, and a shield of sand. Gaara was the first to open his eyes, followed by Naruto, who was surprised to see his flame shielding him. He saw the redhead grin, and shunshin next to his teammates. Naruto took this time to look at their Head Protectors. "You three..." Naruto said. "You're from Sunagakure(Hidden Sand) aren't you? You may be allies of the Leaf, but you have no right to enter here. State your purpose here." The three showed Naruto and Sasuke a piece of paper.

"We have passes," Temari explained. "As for why we are here, it's because of the Chuunin Exams." Sasuke appeared next to Naruto.

"Hey you," He said. The girl pointed at herself. "Not you, the one with the gourd." Temari stepped aside, letting Gaara look at the raven haired in the eye. "What's your name?"

"...Sabaku no Gaara(Gaara of the Sand)," the redhead replied in the raspy tone he was using before. "And you?"

"Uchiha Sasuke." The Jinchuuriki looked at Naruto, making the blonde scowl. He felt something strange about the redhead.

"Uzumaki Naruto," he said, introducing himself. Gaara closed his eyes, and turned away.

"I see. Temari, Kankuro. We're going now." Gaara's teammates tensed, and followed the redhead. As Naruto watched them go away, he heard a voice in his head.

_'Naruto-kun,'_ Momo's voice said, in a confused voice. _'I was having a weird dream, that I was in the desert. You were there, and we were talking to another person.'_ Naruto narrowed his eyes.

_'That was no dream,'_ he replied. '_It looks like there's another Jinchuuriki in Konoha.'_ He thought back to their names. _'Sabaku no Gaara...and Ichibi no Shukaku.'_ He grinned. _'This is going to be interesting.'_

* * *

><p>Chapter 15 done, hope you tolerated it.<p>

...Yeah...See ya

Review/Flame


	16. Chuunin Exams

Chapter 16 is up, and I hope you like it, and I hope you forgive the time it takes to do these chapters, with school going on.

From the book of epicness, it reads, "I am the bone of my sword...(Insert rest of Unlimited Blade Works chant here)"

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

><p>Naruto and Fox Momo were having a stare down, with the blonde looking down at the bijuu. "So," the blonde said. "Are you going with me, or am I going to have to keep you in the box?" The little fox scoffed, and disappeared in a cloud of red smoke. She assumed her human form, so that they saw eye to eye.<p>

"Don't even think of leaving me in there again," she threatened. "I swear, I'm going to make you pay for that. I thought I went blind, and started to run around in the box. It fell over, making me land in a tub of water." Naruto chuckled.

"I wondered why your fur was wet when I came back to the hut." He laughed again. "Anyways, Kakashi-sensei told the team to meet at the Training Grounds. We better get going, although I doubt Kakashi-sensei would be there when we do." Momo shrugged, and the two exited the "house". As they tree jumped, Narto looked at Zabuza and Haku's house. Haku was at the balcony, waving at him. The blonde returned the gesture, earning him a scowl from Momo. "What is it?" The girl continued her look, before she looked away with a scoff.

"Naruto-kun," she said, jumping closer to Naruto. He felt a weird tone in her voice. "You spent the whole day with Haku-san, _didn't you?_" Turning his head, Naruto found Momo's face very close to his with an annoyed face."You left me in that box to hang out with her, right?"

"W-well," he stuttered. _'Oi. What's the mood here?'_ Naruto was thinking of something to say. "You were sleeping, and you wouldn't wake up. I figured I should let you sleep, while I went with my team. Haku-san just happened to be bored, so I gave her a tour of the village. Honest." He continued to try and quell Momo's mysterious anger, as they made their way towards the Training Grounds. As expected, Kakashi was nowhere to be found. Sakura and Sasuke were leaning on the trees, almost asleep. "That guy has got to stop being so late," he said, landing in the middle of his teammates, to their surprise. "I swear, Kakashi-sensei is going to pay one day(Rhyming)."

"Naruto," Sakura said. "Don't surprise us like that. Almost gave me a heart attack." Naruto laughed apologetically, while Sasuke scoffed.

"And what's with you always bringing a girl with you?" he asked. "Next thing you know, you'll be bringing a blue haired girl, or another blonde(Foreshadow)." The Uchiha soon found himself in a headlock by the Jinchuuriki.

"What kind of person do I look like? Some sort of playboy?" Sasuke struggled in his grip, but managed to get away. "Anyways, what was I talking about? Oh right. Kakashi can be as late as he wants. But the moment he appears, I'm burning any book he has on him. EVERY DAY!" After his outburst, there was a thud to their left. Kakashi was face first on the ground in an embarrassing pose. He tried to play it cool by flipping in a sitting pose. "I knew that would work."

"Oh hey!" Kakashi greeted nonchalantly. "I was just heading here, but I was lost on the road of life.

"You got that right," Momo mumbled out of the Jonin's hearing range. Said person stood up, and fished something from his pockets. Three pieces of paper.

"It's a bit sudden, but I nominated you guys for the Chuunin Exam." The three Genin stood there, until they realized what he had said.

"Are you serious?" Sakura asked, grabbing one of the papers. Naruto and Sasuke followed. "Wow. This is the only good thing you've done for us!"

"I know," Naruto agreed. "Nothing else Kakashi-sensei has done is useful compared to this." Sasuke nodded.

"I'm still here," Kakashi deadpanned, with a tic mark on his forehead. "I can hear everything you're saying." He cleared his throat, getting everyone attention. "Even though it's a nomination, whether you take the exam is up to you. If you are going, then sign those forms, and turn them in at room 301 of the academy By 4PM tomorrow." With that, the Jonin disappeared. Naruto, Momo, Sasuke, and Sakura stayed at the training grounds, gawking at the forms.

"Well?" Momo asked. "Are you guys going to sign that, or not?" Sasuke shook off his awe.

"Of course we are," he replied. "This maybe the only opportunity we have to become Chuunin. Now all we need is to train. I'll be going to my compound."

"Can I come?" Sakura asked hopefully.

"No." The pink haired girl seemed to deflate at his response. She looked at Naruto, wondering what he was going to do. Seeing her look, Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?" he asked. "If you're going to ask me what I'm doing, I'll be stocking up on some items. Gotta be ready at anytime." He began to walk away, but stopped. "You should probably get ready, too. It's best that you get as much training as you can before tomorrow. Catch." Summoning a scroll from a seal, he tossed the rolled up parchment towards the pink haired girl. Sakura caught the scroll, and immediately opened it. "That should give you an upper hand when you fight." With that, Naruto walked away, with Momo right next to him. Sakura continued to stand there, looking at the paper in her hands.

As Naruto walked around the village, he noticed a mop of blue hair, along with a brown one. "Huh?" Naruto said. "Isn't that...ah! Hinata-chan! Hanabi-chan!" From hearing the boy's voice, the two Hyuuga's turned to the blonde. Hanabi happily ran to Naruto, while Hinata was more shy and walked. Although anyone could see the slight bounce in her steps. "Haven't seen you two in a while!" Naruto crouched to meet Hanabi in the eyes.

"Onii-chan," she greeted, making Naruto make a "Hnng" sound. "Nice to see you."

"Same here," Naruto said, in a strained voice. He patted her head. "Good to see that you're doing alright." He cleared his throat, and looked at Hinata. "You too, Hinata-chan."

"Naruto-kun," she spoke, in a nervous tone. "I heard you were in a C turned A rank mission. Are you alright? You're not h-hurt, are you?" At first, Naruto looked at her wide eyed. But then his lips split into his fox grin.

"Hinata-chan! You said all that, and barely stuttered! You've improved." The blue haired girl blushed from the praise, and looked down. She pushed her fingers together. "Hey, Hanabi-chan, wanna play?" The brunette nodded happily, and the two walked somewhere else. As all this occurred Momo noticed that the Heiress had not noticed her presence, so she cleared her throat. Hinata quickly turned towards the Bijuu.

"Oh," she said quietly. "Uh...I'm sorry that I didn't see you. Y-you are?" The red haired girl slightly bowed.

"I'm Momo," she greeted. "And you must be Hyuuga Hinata. I've heard some things about you from Naruto-kun." Hinata's eyes slightly widened at the "kun."

"I see...Naruto-kun never mentioned Momo-san before, except for his pet fox, also named Momo. Uh...Are you friends with him?"

"Yeah. I trained him on everything he knows, so I guess I'm also his mentor or teacher."

"I see...So you must be very close to Naruto-kun. It's very nice to meet you, Momo-san." Hinata bowed, as she felt a weird tug in her heart. The girl couldn't deny that Momo was very beautiful with her bright red hair, and striking crimson eyes. Like Naruto, she had an air of mischief about her, along with an aura of power. She and Naruto were very similar. At that moment, Naruto and Hanabi came back, with the brunette sitting on Naruto's shoulders.

"Ah!" Naruto said, as he put the little girl down. "I see you two met. I've been meaning to introduce you to each other." Hinata got out of her thoughts, and turned to Naruto. "Well, are you two getting along?"

"Yeah," Hinata replied. "I guess we are. So...What are you doing right now?"

"Well, I was going to get some supplies for the Chuunin Exams." The heiress' eyes widened.

"You were nominated for the exams too? Oh, I'm so happy for you." Her face changed to that of happiness. One would say that it was cute. "I was also nominated. My teammates and I just got our forms. You...You're going, right?" Naruto grinned, and pounded his chest.

"Of course I am. This is a great opportunity to show everyone just how strong I really am. And that I will become Hokage!" The blonde finished in a weird pose as if he reaching towards the sky. The three girls giggled. "What? What's so funny?"

"Onii-chan, you're weird," Hanabi replied, still laughing(Cue "hnnng" sound from Naruto). As soon as the laughing stopped, everything was calm.

"Well," Naruto said. "I guess we should be going now. I got a lot of training to do. You train two, Hinata-chan. Maybe we'll be fighting each other." At that, Hinata hesitated, but nodded. Momo curtsied, and followed Naruto, before he stopped and looked back. "Remind me later, Hinata-chan. I should visit your compound sometime. Visit Hiashi-san."

The blue haired girl tilted her head, and said ,"Alright, Naruto-kun. See you later." The blonde grinned, and he walked away.

He and Momo walked around town until they reached Tetsuha(If no one remembers, it's the name I gave Tenten's family) Weapons. Sometimes, it still unnerved him to be going into another store. After all, he was still "Demon Fox" to everyone else. As he walked in, a chime sounded, making him tense up. He looked for any danger...Then again, he was in a weapons shop.

"Naruto-kun," A voice said. Naruto saw Tekko, the muscular man in a blacksmith apron with a huge hammer on his back, entering the room from his workplace. "I already told you. I don't intend to hurt you in anyway."

"Says you," Naruto replied, rubbing his forehead. The blacksmith awkwardly laughed, and waved his hands in front of him.

"That was an accident." Naruto didn't say anything, and Tekko cleared his throat. "A-Anyways, did you need something for you and...Your friend there." He pointed at Momo. The girl waved at him. "You're pretty quick, aren't you, Naruto-kun?" The blonde tilted his head, while Momo blushed.

"I just need a some things for the Chuunin Exam." At that, Tenten's father gave a hearty laugh.

"The Chuunin Exam, huh? I remember going through that. Alright, I'll see what I can get you. Tenten!" In a few moments, the bun haired girl ran in, covered in ash."You mind helping Naruto-kun fill his weapons supply for the Exams?"

"Alright," the pink clad girl said, turning to Naruto. "Hey, Naruto-kun! You were nominated too?" The blonde grinned and nodded. "Congrats. Here, lend me your pouch for a while." Naruto unlatched the pouch at his side, and handed it to Tenten. She took it, and began to go through the shelves in the store. "Are you looking for anything in particular, of just the usual?" The blonde looked around, and shrugged.

"Well," he began. "What do you have? Anything new?"

"A shipment just came in with stronger exploding tags, some flash tags, paralyzing darts, and some smoke bombs. We also got some new ninja swords, and ninja wire." Naruto thought about it.

"I could use some flash tags and the darts. You got anything for Metsubushi(Eye Closers, a technique used for temporarily or permanently blinding an opponent. Basically hollowed out eggs, bamboo tubes, or other small containers filled with a powder made up of ashes, ground-up pepper, mud, flour, dirt, and sometimes ground up glass.)?" Tenten paused for a while, before carefully opening a cabinet. She slowly took out a package, and sealed it in a scroll.

"Now I'm a bit curious as to why you would need something like that," Tenten mused, as she put the scroll in the bag.

"Just a precaution," Naruto replied. "You never know, right?" Tenten nodded, and continued to fill the pouch.

"Naruto-kun," Momo said. "Can I get the scythe reforged in stronger steel?" She brought out the weapon, to the bun haired girl's surprise.

"Isn't that the same scythe my father used to-" She giggled. "-hit you on your head?" Naruto scowled, and grabbed the scythe from Momo's hands.

"Please don't remind me." He handed the weapon to Tenten, who, still laughing, took it, and walked to her dad. She told him of Momo's request, and the blacksmith walked into his workshop with the scythe in his hands. "Let's see," the blonde mumbled, as Tenten walked back. "After these materials, we should go to Ichiraku. I haven't had breakfast yet. And then, training, of course, to try and finish..." Momo heard Naruto trail off, and wonder what he was talking about. A few minutes later, Tekko was done reforging Momo's scythe, to which she happily thanked him. Tenten was also done filling Naruto's pouch, and gave it to him. He payed for the supplies, and thanked the two.

"Come again," Tekko and Tenten said, as Naruto and Momo exited the store.

"Come on," Naruto announced, running towards the direction of the business district of Konoha. "I'm hungry." Momo sighed at the boy's energy, and began to follow him. At the ramen diner, the two encountered a familiar Tokubetsu Jonin, and surprisingly, they met with the two Hyuga sisters. They waved at the two, to which they returned the gesture. Anko looked over her shoulder, and grinned when she saw Naruto.

"It's about time," she said, going behind the boy, and grabbing him in a headlock. "I waited for you yesterday, but you never came! You said you'd tell me about your mission at Nami no Kuni." The blonde stopped, before remembering what he had said.

"Oh right," he mumbled. "I guess I can spare some time." He got himself out of Anko's grip, and took a seat to her left. Momo sat next to him. Hinata and Hanabi were at the right of the Tokubetsu Jonin. "Ossan!" Naruto called. The old proprietor stepped from the back, to see the blonde.

"Naruto!" he exclaimed. "It's been a while. Ayame, look who it is." In a moment, the brunette entered the room and greeted Naruto with a smile.

"Oh, I missed you," the girl said happily, clasping her hands in front of herself. "Where have you been all this time?" Anko grinned.

"He's about to tell me. Why don't you take a seat, so we could all hear it?" Ayame nodded, and opted with leaning over the counter.

"I'll make the food," Teuchi offered. "I assume you want the regular?" Naruto nodded, and the man disappeared into another room. Naruto began to tell of his way to the Kirigakure, encountering the two brothers, along with Zabuza himself. The four females seemed to be amazed at the story, frequently asking questions. When it got to the part with him going into his protective state, Momo took over, telling them of what happened. Everyone, even Naruto himself was surprised at what he was able to do.

"Ne, Naruto-kun," Hinata said, playing with a string of noodle. "You said you have control over fire?" The blonde nodded. "Can we see? If it's not too much trouble, that is." Naruto thought it over, before looking at Momo.

"It's alright," she assured. "Go ahead and show them." Naruto shrugged, and pushed his eye patch up, to reveal his eye that looked like there was a firestorm raging inside. They marveled at the sight. Naruto brought his hand up in front of himself, and summoned a wheel of fire to surround his arm. It then spiraled up his arm. The four were careful not to be burned, but Naruto smiled at them reassuringly.

"It's alright," he began. "My flames won't hurt you unless I want it to." They were skeptical at the thought, wondering how flames wouldn't burn. But suddenly, Momo grabbed his hand, and showed them that she was unharmed. Naruto's fire left his arm, and spiraled up Momo's. She did not seen affected by it. Naruto summoned several balls of flame, and threw them at the others. They were surprised at first, but then the spheres exploded, leaving red flowers spinning in the air. Crimson sparks filled the area. Anko was the first to move, taking one of the flowers. True to Naruto's word, it did not burn her, nor did she feel any heat from it. The others soon followed her actions, taking one flower each.

"How long do they last?" Hanabi asked, poking her flower carefully.

"I'm not sure," Naruto replied. "I never really checked to see how long it lasted."

"Your fire should last as long as you want it to," Momo explained, being the person who had the flames in the first place. "But it might not be wise to keep them for too long. As long as they burn, your Chakra depletes bit-by-bit." Naruto nodded, taking in the new information. Slowly, all the fire was sucked back into his eye. He then proceeded to put his eye patch back on.

After 10 more bowl of ramen, Naruto decided that he was satisfied. He paid for his food, and waved everyone goodbye. "So," Momo said, as they walked around, "Where are you going to go now?" Naruto, who's hands were behind his head, looked at the bijuu, and grinned.

"Actually," he replied. "There's this Jutsu I've been working on, so let's go back to the house. Can't have many people watching." Momo nodded, and the two shunshined back into the Forest of Death. They were met with Haku, who was kneeling and picking flowers and herbs. "Oh hey, Haku-san!" The girl warmly smiled.

"Hello, Naruto-san, Momo-san," she greeted. "I was just collecting herbs and flowers." The blonde noticed scratch marks on her skin.

"You weren't attacked by the animals, were you?" The girl looked at her arm.

"They weren't that much of a problem." Haku pointed to her left, and the two saw a trail of ice littering the ground. They could guess what happened. Naruto shook his head, and knelt in front of Haku. She watched as the blonde grabbed her arm, and reached for something in his pouch. Naruto took out some ointment, and gently rubbed it on her skin.

"You have to be careful in this forest," Naruto scolded. "Some of these animals have poison in their claws. It won't kill you, but it will make you weak." He looked up, and Haku saw the concern in his eyes. Suddenly, to her surprise, the girl felt her face heat up. With her free hand, Haku felt her cheeks, and found it warm to the touch.

_'I'm...blushing?'_ she thought, surprised. Naruto took out some bandages, and began to wrap where the cuts were. _'No way!'_ She tensed, and began to shake her head. Naruto noticed this.

"Why are you shaking your head?" he asked, making her stop. Haku's eyes were wide. Suddenly, she stood up, taking her basket with her. "Haku-san?"

"I-I have to go," Haku stuttered, before turning around, and running towards her house. Naruto continued to kneel, blinking in slight surprise. After a while, the blonde stood up, and walked back to Momo. Looking at her, he noticed that she looked a bit...annoyed?

"Is there something wrong?" he asked, to which the red haired girl just turned around, her hair swishing in front of his face.

"Oh, don't mind me," Momo replied, in a tone that Naruto couldn't recognize. "It's just...I guess I'm..." Each time Momo tried to finish her sentence, she would get tongue-tied, and trail off. "Oh, forget it!" She suddenly exclaimed. "Let's just practice your Jutsu, alright?" Naruto couldn't help but be concerned for her.

"Well alright," he said. "But if there's anything I can help with, just tell me, alright?" He put his hand on her shoulder, making her tense up. Naruto let go of her, and ran towards a clearing. Momo watched him make a lot of clones, and practice whatever Jutsu he was talking about. If anyone was looking at her pouting face, which was covered by strands of her crimson hair, they would have seen a cute blush. She slapped her cheeks a bit, before running towards the blonde, and examining his work.

(Somewhere)

At an unknown location, a girl was running across a village, looking extremely tired. "Someone get her!" a person commanded, just behind her. The girl muttered something under her breath, before picking up speed. She jumped on a building, just before a wave of air smashed into her.

"I can't believe those..." The girl trailed off, when she heard something. It was a loud high pitch sound, that echoed through the area. The girl gritted her teeth, and brought a flute to her mouth. "Two can play that game." With a deep breath, the girl played a solemn melody that overpowered the high pitched sound. She soon heard something fall to the ground under her. "Damn! There are too many obstacles here!" The girl looked back to see the assailants following her at a faster rate. "It's time I put that Jutsu to good use. It would be a waste if I get caught now." She put her flute inside her pouch, and brought her hands up in a tiger seal, gathering as mush Chakra as she could, without passing out. "Kokuangyo(Bringer of Darkness) no Jutsu!" Letting out the Jutsu, the girl watched as her pursuers suddenly stopped, and looked around in a surprised manner.

"What the hell?" she heard someone yell. "Everything went black!" The girl grinned, and focused on what was in front of her. Soon, the girl reached the exit of the village. With one last look behind her, she ran into the forest, not going in any particular direction. Her objective, was to simply escape, and escape she did.

(Forest of Death)

Naruto yelled, and slammed the ground with his hands. At first nothing happened, but then a black blanket covered the area in front of him, and the trees in front of him flew into the sky. The grass was also obliterated. Momo sat on a rock with a surprised look. "That was amazing!" she exclaimed, standing up, and running towards the blonde. Naruto grinned, with his hands behind his head. To his front, the trees and grass had been obliterated. To his right, they were burnt to ashes. Behind him, everything was eroded, as if a river had run through it. And to his left, the trees and grass had been cut into small pieces. Naruto had completed his Jutsus.

(The next day)

Team 7 found themselves back in their old academy, walking through it's halls, and watching all the people as they headed towards the same direction they were going. "There sure are a lot of people," Sakura noted, a bit nervously. Naruto assured her that there was nothing to worry about. Soon, the three heard the sound of fighting, and watched as a boy clad in green was pushed back, with several bruises on his body. Two males with features that resembled a certain pair of gatekeepers stood on front of a door with smug faces.

"That all you got?" one of the boys, a boy with spiky black hair, scoffed. "You plan to take the exam with that? You should quit now, while you still have a chance." The green clad boy gritted his teeth. "You're just a little kid." The one next to him, a boy with his Konoha outfit going up to his chin nodded in agreement.

"Please let us through," a female voice voice pleaded. Naruto could recognize it as Tenten's. In a flash, she found herself on the ground with a searing pain in her cheek. The spiky haired boy scoffed again.

"Listen. This is our kindness. The Chunin Exams aren't easy. Even we've failed it 3 times in a row. We've seen people who take this exam, and end up quitting as ninjas, along with people who die." The boy smirked. "And also-"

"Kotetsu," Naruto said, catching everyone, especially the two boy's attention. "Just what the hell are you doing?" The spiky haired boy hesitated. "Dispel those Genjutsus, right now, or else!" His teammates, surprised at the blonde's sudden angry mood, nodded in agreement. The two now revealed to be Kotetsu and Izumo started to sweat.

"That's right," Sakura mused, looking around. "This is only the second floor, isn't it?" Sasuke stayed silent, but settled with a grin, when the two realized that they had been found out. The sign saying "301" disappeared, and turned into "201."

"So you saw through that. But let's see if you can see through this!" Kotetsu said, before disappearing in a shunshin. He appeared in front of Sasuke, with his legs reeled back. Sasuke scoffed, and brought up his leg as well. But before the two attacks could collide, a green blur went in front of them. The one who had been on the ground, stood between Sasuke ans Kotetsu with both legs in his hands. His expression seemed to be different. He let go of Kotetsu's while Sasuke retracted examined the boy with curiosity. The boy had a bowl cut hair, along with rounded eyes and large eyebrows. His clothes consisted of a green jumpsuit, orange leg warmers, and a red forehead protector worn as a belt. Naruto also noticed the bandages covering his hands and wrists.

_'This person,'_ he noted. _'He obviously has gone through rough training. There must be a lot of scars under those bandages.'_ Naruto glanced at his own bandages.

"Lee. What happened to the plan?" a new voice coldly asked. They all looked to see a boy with a black headband that he wore over his forehead. He wore a khaki shirt, dark brown shorts, blue shinobi sandals. He also had bandages wrapped around his right arm, and right leg. Looking at his pupil-less eyes, Naruto instantly knew that he was a Hyuga. "Weren't you the one who said not to draw attention?" The green clad boy looked over to Sakura and blushed. He walked up to her.

"Hello," Lee greeted. "My name is Rock Lee. And you must be Sakura." Suddenly, he gave a thumbs up, and made a shining smile. "Let's go out together! I'll protect you until I die!"

"No," Sakura replied blankly, to the boy's dismay. He seemed to deflate at her reply. All the while, the Hyuga set his eyes on Sasuke.

"You," he called, getting the Uchiha's attention. "What's you're name?" He scoffed.

"When you want to learn someone's name, you should say yours first." The other boy clicked his tongue, and turned away with a sneer. Team 7 made their way towards the third floor without another word.

(Skipping the fight)

A beaten up Sasuke stood with his teammates, after being beaten by Lee. He had been able to get around the Sharingan, stating that it was unable to see through Taijutsu. Just before Lee could finish the fight, a large tortoise had appeared, and stopped him. Needless to say, the three were a bit surprised. Lee was bowing in front of the tortoise with a guilty face. "Lee!" it exclaimed. "That technique is forbidden."

"But," Lee began. "I wasn't planning on using that one!" As the two argued, Team 7 looked at the scene blankly.

"You guys see the turtle, right?" Naruto asked blankly. Te others nodded in unison.

"You fool!" the animal scolded. "You think you can get away with an excuse like that? You already know what it means for a ninja to reveal special technique!" Lee bowed in apology. "Are you ready to pay?" The boy nodded.

"Then here come's Gai-sensei!" a new voice yelled, as a puff of smoke appeared on top of the turtle. As it lifted, it revealed a man dressed, to Team seven's horror, the same way as Lee, minus his bandages. The man also had a green flak jacket. He was in a very...creative pose, one could say. "Geez! You guys are the epitomes of adolescence!"

"Even thicker eyebrows!" the three muttered in unison. Even Sasuke's cool demeanor was broken for a while, after seeing the man's appearance. Lee suddenly turned towards them, with fire in his eyes.

"Don't insult Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!" Gai exclaimed, getting the boy's attention. Without hesitation, he slammed his fist onto Lee's face. "You fool!" Team seven was, again, shocked. The two looked at each other, tears in their eyes.

"Sensei!" Lee cried, sniffling. "I...I..." Suddenly, the two hugged.

"There is no need to say anymore! This is what youth is about!" The two separated, but still had teary eyes. "It's alright, Lee! Youth and mistakes go together! But you still broke the rules. Your punishment will take place after the Chunin Exam. 500 laps around the practice range!" Lee nodded. Gai took his eyes off his student, and looked at the three. "You! You're Kakashi's students, right?"

"You know Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"Know him?" The man grinned, and disappeared from sight. Naruto could faintly see a blur, before Gai appeared behind them. "People refer to us as the eternal rivals! 50 wins, and 49 losses. I am stronger than Kakashi!" After the initial surprise wore of, the three couldn't help but be amazed at the Jonin's speed. "You three should head over to the exam room, before it's too late. The three nodded, and set off for the room, while Lee began to jump from wall to wall. Sasuke gritted his teeth, still angry that he had lost to him. Naruto noticed this, and smacked his back. The Uchiha, stunned, staggered back, and faced the blonde.

"What the hell was that for?" he demanded. The blonde grinned.

"You were brooding," Naruto simply replied, before going ahead the two. Soon, they reached the real room 301. To their surprise, Kakashi was waiting up for them. He looked them over.

"Oh, so you all came!" he said. "Now we can properly take the exam." Sakura tilted her head.

"What do you mean, Kakashi-sensei?" she asked.

"The truth is, you can only take the test in teams of three. If I had told you the truth, you one of you would've pressured the others to enter as well. Let's say only Naruto and Sasuke had shown up. I wouldn't have let them pass, if that was the case. But all of you came at your own will; you guys are my proud team! So go on ahead." Kakashi stepped aside, motioning them to go through the door. The three looked at each other, grinned, and nodded in unison. Naruto stepped up to the door, and with a deep breath, opened it. They were met with a ton of people that they had never seen before. Just as they stepped in, Sasuke was tackled by a familiar platinum blonde.

"Sasuke-kun!" Ino exclaimed, hugging the boy. "It's been a while! I missed you. Sakura clenched her fists, and pointed at Ino.

"Get off him, Ino-buta!" Sakura yelled. The other girl stopped, and looked at Sakura blankly.

"Oh, it's Sakura. Big forehead as always. Naruto rolled his eyes at their antics, and set his eyes on two other people.

"Troublesome," one of them said, followed by the sound of crunching to his left. It was Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Choji. "So your team made it here too, Naruto? Sasuke?" Sasuke shook Ino away, and stood next to Naruto and the other two.

"Hey, I found them!" another voice exclaimed. It was Inuzuka Kiba, along with Akamaru. Behind him, were Abarume Shino, and of course, Hyuga Hinata. She waved to him. "Looks like all of the rookie Genins are taking the exam. Though I'm not surprised. I mean we are the best." Naruto and Sasuke grinned, as the gang was back together. Momo, in her fox form, appeared from inside Naruto's hood, and bowed her head to everyone in greeting.

"Someone seems confident," Sasuke mumbled.

"Would you all be quiet?" A new voice asked, stepping towards the rookies. It was a male who had black eyes with grey hair kept in a ponytail and wore circular glasses. He wore a dark purple shirt with a white undershirt and a white obi around his waist worn at an angle, dark purple pants, blue sandals, and a shuriken holster on his right leg. The Konoha headband sested on his forehead. "You guys are all rookies out of the academy, right? Would you kindly stop acting like a bunch of schoolgirls? This ain't a picnic, you know?" He noticed their looks, and sighed. "The name's Kabuto. But before looking at me, you should probably look behind you." Confused, everyone did so, and was met with deathly glares from a particular group with headbands of another village. "Those would be the Shinobi from Amegakure(Hidden Rain), and they have short tempers, so I suggest you be quiet. Everyone's nervous as it is." Kabuto shrugged. "But, I guess you can't help it. You remind me of how I was back then.

"Is this your second time?" Naruto asked.

"Seventh actually," Kabuto corrected. "The Chunin exam is held twice a year, so this is my fourth year. I would know a lot about the exam." Opening his pouch, Kabuto pulled out a bunch of cards. "Allow me to help you cute little rookies. "These cards hold over 4 year's worth of info which can only be seen with my Chakra. It may look blank at fist, but watch this." Pouring some of his Chakra on the card, it changed, and revealed a graph. "This is the number of people taking this exam, and where they come from."

"Do you have information individuals?" Sasuke asked. Kabuto grinned, and pushed up his glasses.

"Of course," he replied. "Are there certain people you want to know about?"

"Sabaku no Gaara, and Rock Lee."

"So you know their names. This should be easy then." He pulled out two cards, and showed it to the Uchiha. "Rock Lee...He's a year older than you. Mission history is 12 D-ranks, and 12 C-ranks. His sensei is Maito Guy. Lee's Taijutsu has improved greatly. Other than that, nothing special. He did not participate last year, so this is his first time." He went to the other card. "Next is Sabaku no Gaara. 8 C-ranks, and one B-rank. A B-rank as a Genin? I'm impressed! It also says that he has finished all the missions without a scratch. Konoha, Suna, Ame, Kusa, Taki, and Oto(Leaf, Sand, Rain, Grass, Waterfall, and Sound). Sound is a minor village created last year, so there isn't much info on it. But it's rumored to have very talented people there. It ain't going to be easy.

"Ain't going to be easy," Naruto repeated softly. His bangs shadowed his face. Sakura noticed the blonde shaking a bit, thinking that he was nervous.

"Don't be like that," she said, to cheer him up. But she was surprised, when Naruto threw his head up, and started to laugh. He turned towards everyone, with a wild feral grin.

"The name's Uzumaki Naruto!" He exclaimed, sending a wave of killer intent on everyone. "I am NOT going to lose to you bastards, you hear me?" His teammates and fellow rookies looked at him like he was crazy, while Sasuke simply shook his head with a smirk.

"Otogakure is a minor village, huh?" one person whispered to his partner. It was a male person, covered head to toe in bandages. The only visible feature was his eye. The boy turned to his teammates. "Why don't we show that Leaf Shinobi's data, that Oto can be...vicious." His teammates, a spiky haired boy, and a long haired girl, grinned and nodded. Suddenly, they started to target Kabuto. The Genin was able to dodge the spiky haired boy's kick, and the girl's senbon. He smugly grinned, but was surprised by the mummy faced Oto-nin appeared in front of him, and sent his fist on the white haired boy's stomach. Somehow, he was able to back away before the gauntlet that was strapped to the boy's arm could reach him. When he was a distance away, Kabuto's glasses shattered, and he threw up. Everyone was surprised.

"Wait a minute," Sakura said. "That attack didn't even hit Kabuto-san. So why is he like that." Naruto looked at the bandaged boy's gauntlet.

"That was not Ninjutsu," he mumbled low enough for Momo to hear. "It wasn't Genjutsu, or Taijutsu, either. It was pure sound." The three Oto-nin gathered around the fallen Kabuto, and glared.

"Put this on those cards of yours. The Shinobi of Otogakure will surely become Chunin." Before anything else could happen, a loud voice sounded in the room.

"Quiet down, you worthless brats!" a voice yelled, as a poof of smoke appeared in front of the room. After it cleared, it revealed a large intimidating man wearing a big black trench coat like Naruto. There were two scars in his face with one going from his upper eye to his chin, and one going across his right cheek. Behind him, were several other people including Kotetsu and Izumo. "Thanks for waiting. I am Morino Ibiki, and I will be the proctor of the Chunin Exam's first test. His voice carried a tone that intimidated almost everyone in the class. Ibiki pointed at the Oto-nin. "You three. Enough of your shenanigans, unless you want to be disqualified before the test even begins. The Mummy-face tilted his head at an impossible angle.

"I apologize," he said. "I guess we got carried away. Ibiki scoffed.

"As long as I am here, there will be no fighting unless I say so. And Even if I allow it, I will not tolerate you killing your opponent. If anyone dares to disobey me, I will disqualify them, understand?" No one said anything, choosing to nod instead. "Now,we will start the first test in the Chunin Exam." He reached inside a pouch, and held out a stone with the number 1. "You will pick these tablets, to see where you are assigned to sit. and after that, we will hand out the papers. At first, everyone was confused, until they realized that the first test was, in fact, a written to test. Some people groaned loudly. "NO WHINING!" Ibiki yelled, shutting everyone up. Naruto sat at the desk with the number 53. His thoughts were still stuck to the what had happened a while ago.

"Naruto-kun," a soft voice said. Hinata, who had gotten the seat to the blonde's right, pinched his sleeve softly, and tugged at it. Naruto turned his attention to the heiress, who gave him a warm smile. "Let's do our best, okay?" Suddenly, all of Naruto's tension and worry seemed to disappear. He blinked once, before grinning. Meanwhile, Momo, who was still inside his hood gave off a soft jealous yelp.

"Do not turn your test over yet," Ibiki instructed. "Listen closely to what I have to say." The man took out a piece of chalk, and began to write on the board. "There are several rules to this first test. I'll write them on the board while I explain, but no questions will be answered. so pay close attention. First: Everyone starts with 10 points. and each question is one point. The test uses a subtraction system, so depending on your answer, your points will either increase, or decrease. Second Rule: It will not matter what your score is, if your teammates' scores are low. Your final score will be the combined points of you and your teammates, so the maximum you can get is a 30." This made the tension double in everyone. Someone tried to ask a question, but the proctor shut him up. "Third: Anyone caught doing anything sneaky, namely cheating will have 2 points deducted from their score for every offense. The loss of all your points will result in that person being asked to leave." The other Chunins sat at every corner of the room, giving them a good view of the Genin. "And one final thing:To those who lose all their initial point, and don't finish answering all the questions," Ibiki grinned, "that individual, along with his/her teammates will also fail!" this caused everyone's tension to increase tenfold. "This test will last 1 hour, and one our only. BEGIN!" Everyone flipped over their papers. As Naruto and Sasuke looked over their papers, they realized one thing...The questions were utter nonsense. It seemed Question 10 was to be asked by the proctor after 45 minutes had passed. Hinata, who noticed that the blonde wasn't doing anything, looked at him with concern. Sasuke looked to his left and right, seeing the Chunins watching them.

_'I see,__'_ the blonde mused, putting his pencil down. _'I can't answer any of these. I doubt many people could. There must be something to this test that I'm not getting, but what i_s it?'

_'It's like they assume we'll cheat'_ he thought. _'But how can we not? No normal person would be able to answer these questions easily.'_ He looked back at the test, looking over the questions again.

_'So it won't matter if I get all the questions right,'_ Sakura noted, doing as much work as she could. Not even she could understand some things. _'It's like knowing the answers doesn't even matter here!'_ She watched as the person next to her stood up.

"It's like not knowing will help you," Ibiki warned, confirming Sakura's thoughts. "Or do you want to be disqualified?" The boy hesitated, before apologizing, and sitting back down.

_'This test system...__'_ Team 7 thought, as if in unison. _'It's set up so that you have no choice but to cheat. But it has to be a way that no one will be able to see. That's why there are so many Chunins watching us. They're seeing if we can gather information with our skill!'_ The three grinned. _'I got it!'_ Sasuke closed his eyes, gathering Chakra towards them. Opening his eyes, it revealed his Sharingan. Sakura took a deep breath, and used her clever observing to rapidly look at the people to her sides, along with the people in front of her. Naruto sent his thoughts to Momo. He felt the fox nod inside his hood, before she began to change her form again. Her body dissolved into a transparent gas that only he could see from his crimson eye. Naruto slightly lowered his eyepatch, to see where Momo was. Meanwhile, when the others had also gotten the true objective, they began to use their skills. Gaara had created an eye of sand that he was able to see through. Kiba was using Akamaru, commanding him discreetly look at other people's papers. Shino, was using his Kikaichu bugs, Tenten had secretly placed mirrors, and controlled their angle though very thin ninja wire. The Oto-nin used their skills in sound and vibration to copy off of the people next to them. Neji, and surprisingly Hinata, had used their Byakugans to look at their neighbors' movement. Suddenly, Kotetsu threw a kunai. It hit the paper of the person behind him. Kotetsu explained that the person had been caught cheating 5 times, and was now out of the test. He and his teammates were thrown out.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata said with the most softest voice she could manage. The blonde turned to her, surprised to see the Byakugan in use. "If you wan't, you can look at my paper." Naruto was, again, surprised because of the blue haired girl's boldness. "I don't want you to fail this test." She scooted her paper enough for the blonde to see.

"I can't do that," Naruto replied. "If I were to do that, I would risk getting you in trouble. It would make me feel bad to burden you like that." Hinata blushed at Naruto's kindness, and pulled back her test.

Sakura put her pencil down, finishing the ninth question. _'All that's left is the 10th question.'_ Ino, who had noticed this, smirked. She secretly went through hand seals, ending with he making a circle with her fingers.

"Shintenshin(Mind Body Switch) no Jutsu," she mumbled, putting her mind in Sakura's. Her body looked like it was sleeping. In Sakura's body, Ino began to look through her answers, and memorized it. She left Sakura's mind, and returned to her own. She wrote the answers down, and repeated her jutsu on her teammates to write answers. Time passed by, and now 13 teams had failed. Ibiki had noticed all of their ways of gathering information, and smirked. He looked at the clock.

"Alright," the man announced, getting everyone's attention. "We now go into the 10th question. "Before we continue, I would like to go over the added rules for this question. First:You must choose whether you want to take it of now." One person asked what would happen if they chose not to answer. "If you do not choose to answer, then your points will automatically go to 0, and you will fail, along with your team." No one hesitated in saying that they would answer. "One more thing: Those who answer and get it wrong, will be stripped of their right to take the Chuunin Ecam again!" Ibiki grinned sadistically at everyone's surprise. "But I'm giving you a way out. You can choose not to take it, and you can come again next year. So, let's begin. Those who do not want to answer the 10th question, shall raise their hands." After a while, several people raised their hands, and quickly left the room. Naruto slowly raised his had in the air, to everyone's surprise. They noticed that he was trembling. But before anything else could happen, the blonde violently slammed his hand on the table, making a loud cracking noise in the wood.

"What the fuck are you trying to pull?" Naruto exclaimed angrily. "You think I'll run away? I would never run!" He gained everyone's attention, especially Ibiki. "I'll take the question, even if it means I'll be a Genin forever! I'll be the first Genin to turn Hokage! So go on, do your worst!" He sat back down. Hinata gave him another smile that somehow calmed his heart,

"That idiot," Sasuke muttered, with a grin on his face. Sakura was thinking the exact same thing.

"I'll give you one last chance," Ibiki warned, but Naruto didn't falter.

In a calmer tone, he said, "I never break a promise. I'll follow my unbending words, because that's my Nindo(Ninja way)!" The proctor looked around, seeing that the morale of everyone was boosted a hundredfold.

"Alright," Ibiki said, not choosing to stray any longer. "Then I congratulate everyone remaining, on passing the first test!" The interrogation master began to explain how there was no 10th question, and that the forst nine were only to see how well they gathered information. He then showed everyone the scars that lay hidden under his bandanna it was enough to make Sasuke almost puke. Naruto sympathized with the man, having gone through torture himself. Ibiki said that a Chunin Captain wouldn't let his/her teammates or him/herself die by running away when things got rough. After another "congratulation," everyone began to cheer. Suddenly, a black ball covered in kunai blasted into the room, breaking a window. Ibiki sighed, knowing who it was. The kunai stuck itself to the ceiling, and rolled open, and out came the Tokubetsu Jonin, Anko.

"This isn't the time for celebration!" She exclaimed. "I am the examiner of the 2nd test, Mitarashi Anko, Now let's go! Follow me!" *Cricket noise*

"Bad timing," Ibiki mumbled, making Anko fume.

_'Reminds me of Naruto,'_nearly everyone thought.

"Anko?" Naruto yelled, standing up. "You're the proctor?" Anko looked to who had shouted, and was surprised to see the blonde. Her strict face quickly changed.

"Oh hey, gaki!" She waved as if there was nothing wrong. "Ibiki! This is the kid I was telling you about! Uzumaki Naruto!" The man raised his eyebrow at Anko's attitude. "So yeah, I'm your proctor." She scanned the room, and suddenly frowned. "There are 78 people here. You left 28 teams, Ibiki? You must be getting soft." The interrogation master scoffed, and pointed to Naruto. "Of course. Well whatever. I'll cut 'em in half in the second test!" Everyone tensed.

"Is she serious?" Hinata asked Naruto, with concern in her voice. Naruto put his hand on the heiress' shoulder.

"Don't worry," he assured. "She wouldn't do that." He looked back at Anko's sadistic smile, and added to himself. "I hope."

"Alright!" Anko exclaimed, after a small sadistic laugh. "To the Forest of Death!" Hearing this, Naruto paused. Then blinked a few times, before,

"WHAT!"

* * *

><p>Another passage form the book reads, "Who the hell do you think I am?"<p>

And I pretty much killed Hinata's stuttering, because typing like that is a pain to me.

Review/Flame


	17. The Second Test

Chapter 17 is up, and with more words than ever!

...Though it's probably for only one time.

From the book of epicness, it reads, "It was my destiny to be here. In the box!" (Naked Snake)

I don't own Naruto.

* * *

><p>Naruto stood annoyed, as he looked at the Forest of Death, it's twisted trees and gloomy darkness was creepy as always. He had no idea that the second part of the test would be in his own home. Anko, who was standing next to him, was nonchalantly eating from a bag of dango. She was generous enough to let him have one...half. " What's taking everyone so long?" the blonde asked, tapping his foot. "Everyone should have been here 20 minutes ago." The purple haired woman shrugged, and continued to eat. "I'm going to have to talk to Hokage-jiji about this later, I swear!" He snatched Anko's bag, and took one stick of dango, to her dismay.<p>

"Hey, that's mine." she pouted, trying to get it back. But Naruto had already put the stick in his mouth. "Oh, you Gaki!" She was able to get back her bag, but was disappointed when there was nothing inside. "That was the last one, too."After a few moments of pouting, the two caught sight of the other Genin, and Anko's face turned sadistic. "It's about time!" She exclaimed, stomping her foot on the dirt. "If you'd gotten here later, I would've disqualified all of 'ya." She saw everyone tense up. But not from her words, but from looking at the forest in front of them. The musty smell and the darkness could only creep them out. "Welcome to the stage of the second test, Practice Area 44. "Also known as "The Forest of Death!" Naruto sighed, and made his way towards his teammates. "You'll soon know why it's called that. Kids like you are quickly killed. Spraying that red blood I love." She licked lips like a maniac.

"This place is creepy," Sakura mumbled.

"Try living here," Naruto scoffed, before saying in a louder tone, "I ain't afraid of some trees!" Anko smiled, knowing why he would say that. This was, of course, where the two had met. In an instant, the proctor threw a kunai at Naruto, who expertly dodged it. Anko appeared behind him, and hugged him from behind. Certain places were touching his back, making him slightly blush.

"Well that's no fun," she said. "You dodged it." Suddenly, she felt someone sneaking behind her. She brought out another kunai, but was slightly surprised when she saw a guy(?), whose long tongue was wrapped around the kunai she had thrown.

"Here's your kunai," the guy said in a smooth tone. Anko retrieved it, wary of the person behind her.

"Why thank you. But you should never sneak up behind me...unless you want to die, that is." The long haired boy retracted his tongue.

"No, I just get excited when I see blood. Plus, you cut my precious hair, so I couldn't help it." The other Genin watched the conversation with horror. The ninja walked away with a slight chortle. Anko eyed him, until he disappeared into the crowd. She let go of Naruto, and turned towards everyone.

"Now, before we start the second test, there's something I have to pass out." Anko produced a stack of paper and held it up for everyone to see. "You must sign these agreement forms. There WILL be deaths in this one, and if I don't have you sign these, It'll be my responsibility. Now I don't want that, so SIGN!" She hear a few murmurs amongst the Genins. I'm going to explain the second test. Once you've signed these papers, each team will check in the booth behind me." She pointed with her thumb. After everyone had gotten a piece of paper, Anko started her explanation. "Alright, here's the rundown of the whole second test. Simply put, you will attempt the ultimate survival." Shikamaru sighed, calling the test "troublesome." "First, I'll explain the area in which it will take place." Anko unrolled a scroll, revealing a map. "Around Practice Area 44, are 44 locked gates. Forest, river, and a tower in the center. From the gates to the tower is about 10km apart. During the survival in here, you will be asked to complete a certain task. Using your many weapons and Jutsu, you will compete in a...No rules scroll battle." From seemingly out of nowhere, Anko produced two scrolls, one white, and one black. "You will fight over these two scrolls. There are 78 people here, meaning 26 teams. Half of you will get the "Heaven scroll," she shook the white one,"and the other half will get the "Earth Scroll." she shook the other one. "To pass this test, your team must make it to the tower with BOTH scrolls. That means 13 teams will lose their scrolls, and half the teams will definitely fail." Everyone grew wary of the other teams. "But there's a time limit," Anko continued. "This second test will last 120 hours. Exactly 5 days." People like Choji asked what they were going to do for food, to which Anko replied, "You're on your own. The forest is full of food. Just watch out for Man-eating beasts, poisonous insects, poisonous plants..." she listed the many dangers. "As the days go on, the distance to the goal will become farther. And the time to rest will become shorter. The area is crawling with enemies. You won't get much sleep. Now, I'll talk about what will disqualify you. First: Disqualification for those who don't make it to the tower with BOTH scrolls within the time limit. Also: You must not look inside the scroll until you make it to the tower. If you do open it, there will be a...surprise for you." The way she said "surprise" took away any intentions of opening the scroll. "That''s it. Exchange your forms for your scroll, then choose a gate to get ready for the start." Soon, everyone dispersed, before Naruto could walk away, Anko held him by his shoulder. "Hey," she said, with a concerned tone. "Be careful alright? Naruto...I may not say it, but you're one of my most precious people. And that's not something you'll hear me say much." The blonde scoffed.

"I don't think choosing favorites is allowed," Naruto teased, before turning around with a sincere smile. "Don't worry. I'll be fine." With that, he walked away. But not without stopping again. "You're one of my precious people too, Anko-chan." The Jinchuuriki caught up to his teammates, and they turned in their forms, getting a scroll. One by one, each team entered the booth, and received a scroll. The booth was covered by a black cloth as to not let anyone see. Soon, Team 7 was assigned to the 12th gate. He stood at the entrance with Sakura and Sasuke by his side. "Leave this to me," the blonde announced to his teammates. "I know pretty much everything about this forest." All the other teams had their own time to get ready. And it seemed that the Kusa-nins were plotting something, by the look in their eyes. Naruto held the Heaven Scroll in his hands, before putting it in his pouch. One of the Chunins unlocked the gate, which was heavily wrapped in chains. Then again, all Naruto had to do, was climb it, to get inside. After Anko announced the beginning of the test, everyone sprang into action. Naruto turned to his teammates with his signature grin, before making his way inside the all too familiar forest.

Kiba's team stood at a clearing, discussing a plan. "So everyone is heading towards the tower, right?" he asked. Hinata and Shino nodded. "Then let's set some traps near it. That should be the best choice." Suddenly, his ears, along with Akamaru's perked, as they heard the sound of feet. He grinned. "Hey, already? Where are they?"

"Kids standing in the open," a Konoha Shinobi sneered, looking at Kiba's team. "They make it too easy to be found. It looks like they've sensed us, but they don't know where we a-" The ninja stopped, as his body froze.

"What's wrong?" one of his teammates asked. "You're turning blue, man." Something on the man's back was moving. It slithered out, revealing to be a leech, which was sucking on the man's blood. "What's that?" Another sound caught the team's attention. They looked up, and saw more of the same leeched raining down on them.

Kiba heard the team's yell, and they found the three laying on the ground, weakened. Some of the leeches had been pierced. "Konoha Jumping Leeches," he explained to the fallen ninjas. "They'll sense any life forms and attack in a group. Five minutes of sucking, and you'll be in the next world. Realizing that, and setting traps where the enemy might escape to was child's play. One down!" Suddenly, a trap sprung, putting the three unknown Konoha Shinobis in a net.

(Team Seven)

Naruto led his teammates through twists and turns, and secret passages across the forest. "Watch your step," he warned Sakura, just as she was going to take another step. She looked closely, before seeing a faint black line illuminated in the light. After they had reached a clearing, Naruto stopped. Suddenly, he threw a kunai into the air.

"What was that for?" Sasuke asked, but the blonde put his finger to his lips, telling him to be quiet. A large creaking noise echoed in the area. Team 7 watched as a thin flexible tree, which was tied to a tree trunk on the ground, was released. It hit the area to the opposite of it, which resulted in a loud crunching. But not of the tree, but of bones. A splatter of blood stained a small area behind the bush. Naruto walked up to the spot, and found a mangled Kirigakure body. Sakura almost retched, and even Sasuke looked sick. The blonde ignored all of the blood, and searched the body for any scrolls. He unlatched the pouch, and found another Heaven Scroll, to his disappointment.

"We should keep this," The blonde said. "If we lose one, we'll have another. Catch, Sakura." The pink haired girl clumsily caught the scroll, and put in her pouch. "Just in case, let's set up a code word. If one of us says 'Nin Song Nin Machine,' the others will reply, 'A large amount of loud enemies is the friend of the Shinobi, hide and remain silent. A Shinobi must understand the proper time, when the enemy is tired and ill prepared.'" Sasuke and Sakura nodded, memorizing the reply. Unbeknownst to them, the Kusa-nins were hiding behind a tree, watching their every move. The leader, the one with the long tongue, smirked, also memorizing the reply. He beckoned his teammates toward him, and they all went through hand seals.

"Futon: Daitoppa!" They said in unison.

"You got it?" Naruto asked, and Sasuke and Sakura nodded. "Then let's go on." Before he could take anymore steps, there was a huge gust of wind that took the three by surprise. They each ran for cover. When the wind stopped, the area was in shambles.

"You guys play around over there," the Kusa-nin leader instructed. "I'll take care of things over here." The two nodded, and disappeared to go somewhere else.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed, running towards the Uchiha. But he picked up a kunai.

"Stop where you are," the black haired boy demanded, catching the girl off guard. "First, the code word. Nin Song Nin Machine." Sakura steeled her eyes.

"Oh, yeah! A large amount of loud enemies is the friend of the Shinobi, hide and remain silent. A Shinobi must understand the proper time, when the enemy is tired and ill prepared!" Sasuke nodded, and put his weapon away. Naruto came running back with a silly grin. "Naruto!

"Wait," Sasuke said, "What's the code word?" Naruto grinned even harder, and said the reply word for word. Sasuke smirked. "Alright then." The Uchiha proceeded to throw a kunai at the blonde, who expertly dodged it. "You think you can fool me with that?" Sasuke asked, to Sakura's reply.

"Wait a minute!" Sakura exclaimed. "He said the code word right!" The Uchiha looked at him with a glare.

"That's exactly why I'm attacking. Naruto told me in private, that if he was asked for the code word, he would purposely get it wrong. All along, it was a trap." "Naruto" stood up with a deathly smirk.

"So you saw through that? I'm impressed." His image faltered, until the Kusa-nin leader was revealed. "Neither tired nor ill prepared, are we? This will be more fun than I thought."

(Further Back)

"Damn it," Naruto groaned, sitting up and stretching his body. Behind him was a cluster of fallen trees, that were destroyed by the wind. "I can't believe I was so off guard back there." The blonde stood up. "Now which part of the forest am I in?" Before he could look any further, a large tree trunk seemed to move. Looking up, Naruto realized that it was not a tree at all, but a huge snake. It hissed at him, lashed out. "Oh great," Naruto mumbled, before summoning his Kusarigama. He threw it at a branch, and pulled himself away from danger. The snake took a bite of the ground, and hissed again. Naruto stood on the tree branch, glaring at the intruder. "Oi! I know every animal in this forest, but I've never seen you before. Who the hell are you?" He talked to it as if it could talk. Like a normal hostile animal, all the snake did was attack again. The blonde put Chakra in his feet, and jumped as high as he could, while the snake bit the tree behind him. It's teeth stuck to the wood. "Alright, die!" He dropped down, pumping Chakra into his blade. As he landed on the snake's head, he threw the Kusarigama deep into the snake's skull. Holding on to the chain, the blonde began to run down the snakes body, creating a large cut. He shunshined a good distance away, before any blood could reach him.

(With Sasuke)

The Kusa-nin held a black scroll teasingly. "You want this Earth Scroll, right?" he sneered. "Since you have the Heaven Scroll." The two Genin watched as the Kusa-nin wrapped his long tongue around the scroll. They almost wretched, when he swallowed it whole. He licked his lips. "Now, let's begin the battle for each others' scroll." He lowered his bottom eyelid, and touched his eye. "With our lives on the line!" In an instant, Sakura and Sasuke found themselves on their knees, breathing hard. Both had visions of each others' death, over and over again.

"Genjutsu?" Sasuke gasped, before emptying his stomach. "No, this pure fear. The killing intent in this guy's eyes is causing us to see the image of death. Just who is this guy? Sakura..." He turned to the pink haired girl, and found her paralyzed with fear. "This is bad! If we stay, both of us will die!" He reached for a kunai, and barely raised it. "Just a little..." The Kusa-nin grinned, and threw a kunai at the Uchiha. Sasuke activated his Sharingan, and was able to roll to the side? Sasuke yelled in pain, as blood ran down his leg. He had stabbed himself, to Sakura's confusion.

_'To injure himself to replace fear with pain,'_ the Kusa-nin thought with a smile. _'As I thought, he is no ordinary prey.'_

(Naruto)

The blonde sealed a huge amount of fried snake into his pouch. He had decided to at least put the thing to good use, since it nearly ate him. "Momo," Naruto called, chewing on one small piece. The bijuu, in her human form, landed on the ground, next to him. "I'm gonna need your help with this person." She raised her eyebrow. "Whoever hit me, it certainly wasn't a Genin. If anything, the force was at least of Jounin, or higher."

"If you need help," the red haired girl said, summoning her scythe. "Of course I'll go. We got to stick together, right?" The blonde sent her a smile, before going through hand seals.

"Mori Kokei(Forest sight) no Jutsu!" A green glow outlined Naruto's body, as he closed his eye. Every inch of the forest came into view, along with all the people inside. The blonde rapidly looked around, until he saw the images of Sasuke and Sakura. They seemed to be fighting the Kusa-nin from before. Naruto grit his teeth, as the two were forced on his knees, paralyzed. He traced that location, and took it to his own. The blonde opened his eyes. "Follow me!" He disappeared in a black blur.

(Sasuke)

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said, but was stopped by the Uchiha, who covered her mouth. She could see the fear in his eyes, as he tried to look for a way out. _'I've never seen him like this before. He looks so panicked.'_ She noticed something above them. Sakura's eyes widened, seeing a snake slithering behind the Uchiha. She pulled his hand away from her mouth, and shouted, "Snake, behind you!" Sasuke quickly looked back, and jumped away before the snake could get him. He inwardly cursed himself for being so clueless. Something in the snake reminded him of the Kusa-nin's eyes, and he panicked.

"Get away!" Sasuke yelled, with fear in his voice. He unleashed a barrage of projectiles that impaled the snake's insides. The lizard fell down dead, but Sasuke could see something moving. With a look of horror, Sasuke and Sakura watched as the snake's skin twisted, and out came the Kusa-nin. His eyes were wide, and his tongue was sticking out much like a snake.

"You guys shouldn't relax even for a little bit," he advised, in a deathly tone. Prey should always do their best to run away..." He let out a hissing sound. "Especially in the presence of a predator."The Kusa-nin began to slither around the tree trunk, but was stopped by a blade getting in the way. He was able to stop, before his head was decapitated.

"Sorry for being so late," Naruto announced, appearing at a tree branch with Momo. "I was a bit preoccupied." Sakura was happy to see the blonde safe.

"Get back!" Sasuke commanded the blonde. "I know you want to help, but forget it! Just go! This guy...He's at a whole 'nother level!" The Kusa-nin glared at Naruto.

"So you defeated the giant snake," he growled. "I'm impressed, Naruto-kun." The blonde looked at him, seeing the resemblance of a snake.

"Killed and fried," he replied with a grin. He looked at his teammates. "It looks like you're having fun, picking on my friends." Sasuke slowly stood up, and noticed something on the ground. He picked it up, seeing that it was the Heaven Scroll that Sakura had. His eyes widened, getting an idea.

"Hey you!" He exclaimed, getting the Kusa-nin's attention. He held up the extra scroll. "I'll give this to you. Please...Just leave us alone!" The snake-like man looked at the scroll.

"I see..." he muttered. "Very smart. The only way for the prey to escape the predator, is to give him a different meal. The Uchiha threw the scroll, but was surprised when a black blur had caught it. Naruto stood in between Sasuke and the Kusa-nin with the Heaven scroll in his hands. His expressions towards Sasuke was one of disappointment.

"You idiot! What do you think you're doing? Can't you see we can get out of-" The Uchiha was interrupted, when Naruto reeled back his fist, and sent him flying. "W-What was that for?"

"Who are you?" Naruto demanded vehemently. He raised his Kusarigama towards the Uchiha. "Are you a copy of Sasuke?" The black haired boy looked at Naruto with wide eyes.

"I'm the real Sasuke!" he yelled. The blonde spat.

"Liar...There's no way a pathetic coward like you is the Sasuke I know! I don't know just how strong this guy is, but what guarantee is there that he'll let us go once you give him the scroll. You're too panicked that you can't see the true situation." The Kusa-nin smirked, and licked his lips.

"You're absolutely right," he confirmed, before lifting up his sleeve. There were markings on his arm that the blonde recognized. He bit his thumb, causing it to bleed. "Why take the scroll now...WHEN I CAN JUST KILL YOU AND TAKE IT THEN?" He slid his bleeding thumb on the markings, before going through hand seals, just as Naruto sprang to stop him."Kuchiyose(Summoning) no Jutsu!" Naruto failed to interfere, as smoke spiraled under him the Kusa-nin. The trees began to break. Team 7 soon found themselves face to face with a humongous snake. In an instant, Naruto found himself falling with blood escaping his mouth. His teammates yelled with concern, while the Bijuu tried to catch him. Right before she could reach, Momo was blasted back by pure Chakra. Her eyes widened, as Naruto landed on his feet at the last second. The Kusa-nin was surprised as well. "Impossible. You shouldn't be able to move after a hit like that." Naruto panted loudly, his face covered by his bangs.

"Oh, it hurts," he growled in a strained voice. "Every move I make drives me crazy with pain. But there's something that overpowers that pain!" He looked up, both eyes raging with fire."THAT"S THE DESIRE TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" The whisker marks on Naruto's face had darkened, and he had grown fangs and claws. His body gesture was now like a wild animal. Seeing this, the Kusa-nin was surprised.

"This kid," he mumbled to himself. "No way!" In a red flash, Naruto disappeared, only to appear in front of the giant snake. The Kusa-nin opened his mouth, and let out a gust of wind. This time, Naruto was unaffected. Cursing, he set his sight on Sasuke. "Let's see how fast you can go. Despite it's size, the snake moved at an alarming rate towards the Uchiha, but was stopped by the blonde to his surprise. Naruto was able to stop the snake right before it finished him off. The Uchiha looked at Naruto with wide eyes, unable to understand his strength. But looking at him further, it looked like the boy was extremely tired, and weakened. Even the fire in his eyes had dimmed drastically.

"You done brooding yet?" The blonde's voice mumbled, enough for Sasuke to hear.

(Meanwhile)

Kotetsu squatted down, examining something on the ground. "3 dead bodies," he noted. "It must've been some kind of Ninjutsu, but I don't recognize it." He turned to Izumo. "Geez... Alert Anko-san. She's gonna want to hear about this." His partner nodded, before disappearing from sight. He only had to wait a few minutes, before the purple haired woman arrived."Great, you're here. After examining their paper and personal items, they seem to be the Kusagakure Ninjas who were entered in the exam, but..." He motioned for the woman to check. One look made her eye's wide. "As you can see, they have no faces. It's as if someone had melted them off.

"It can't be!" Anko muttered to herself. "But there's no mistaking it. This Jutsu is HIS...But why is he in this exam?" She turned to the medic. "Show me the pictures of these three!" They moved quickly, and brought her 3 photos. They were the same as the ones who had entered the forest. Anko thought back at the time the Kusa-nin had given her her kunai. "He stole his face...Even at that time, he already..." She shook her head. "Report this to Hokage-sama! Send some ANBU down here! I'll go after them!"

(Forest)

Snake entangled themselves around Naruto's limp arms and legs, and lifted him up to meet the Kusa-nin's face. He began to go through hand seals. "So the Kyuubi Brat really is alive. I have heard rumors about you. It seems when your emotions are heightened, the power of the Kyuubi overflows...very interesting." He raised his fingertips, which were burning with purple flames. The Kusa-nin lifted Naruto's black shirt and mesh to reveal the spiral seal on his stomach. "Gogyo Fuin(Five Element Seal!" He aimed for the seal, but was suddenly stopped when a spinning scythe cut through the snakes binding the boy. Naruto safely slid down the snake's head. Everyone turned their heads to find Momo with a fierce glare fixed at the snake-like ninja.

"Don't you dare touch him!" she shouted, rushing towards Naruto. The Kusa-nin continued to smirk, and summoned ropes of snakes. The bijuu brought out her wakizashi, and hacked with incredible speed that surprised the two Genin. "Katon: Karyuu Endan!" Momo, without any seals, unleashed a wave of fire that swept through across the snake's body. She landed next to the blonde, who was unaffected by the flames, and picked him up. The girl was about to leave, but was interrupted by the a wicked laughter that echoed in the woods.

"Such power!" the Kusa-nin exclaimed. "Simply amazing!" As the fire receded, it revealed the ninja to be badly burned. He licked his lips, and prepared to step forward. Momo had her hands full, carrying Naruto in her arms.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled from where she was hiding. "We have to do something! Like Naruto-san said, the Sasuke-kun I know isn't a cowards!" Meanwhile the Uchiha was thinking deeply.

"He's right," Sasuke muttered, clenching his fists. "I'm not some coward." His mind went somewhere else, seeing a red background, as if the sky itself was bleeding. Sasuke could see _his_ face. _His_ voice sounded in his head. More importantly, he could see _his_ eyes. Red with three tomoes spinning.

"Foolish brother," _he_ mocked. "If you want to kill me, then hate, spite, and survive pathetically. Run, and run. And cling desperately to life!" Sasuke grit his teeth, as anger overcame him.

"NO!" he yelled. "I am not a coward!" The Kusa-nin noticed his yell, and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" the ninja muttered. "What's this now?" Looking up, he could see Sasuke's Sharingan, with two tomoes in each eye. "The blood of the Uchiha is boiling inside him." Sasuke reached inside his pouch, and brought out an arsenal of kunai and a Fuma Shuriken. One of the kunai was in his mouth.

_'I have to survive to kill my brother. That's what I believed, but I was the one who was always afraid. If I can't even risk my life, even to help my friend, then how am I supposed to kill him?'_ With extreme speed, the Uchiha jumped into the air, and threw the kunai at the Kusa-nin. He smirked, and dodged all of them with expertise. But Sasuke wasn't finished. He gripped a tree trunk, and used it to turn himself around. _'I can see!'_ The ninja's figure seemed slower to him. He threw the shuriken, which the man jumped to avoid. With a mental grin, Sasuke removed the kunai in his mouth. He pumped Chakra into it, and chucked it towards the man. Like before, he dodged it, but Sasuke was prepared. Suddenly, something shined in his eye. Looking around, the man found three wires, all leading towards the projectiles. He pulled, and led the kunai and the shuriken towards the Kusa-nin. But at the last second, he caught the kunai. The shuriken was found between his teeth. He looked at the Uchiha, as if mocking him. Sasuke grinned, and put his fingers up in a tiger seal. In between his fingers was the wire that was in his mouth. "Ch! Katon: Ryuuka(Dragon Fire) no Jutsu!" The fire exited his mouth, and trailed along the wire until it reached the man. At impact, it burned the man's face. Now, it was even more damaged than before. Sasuke heard a "kukuku" sound coming from the Kusa-nin.

"To use the Sharingan so well at his age," he said malevolently. "You really are the man that carries the Uchiha blood." He licked his lips once more. Looking at him, Sasuke could see his skin peel to reveal pale white skin, and yellow snake-like eyes. He raised his hand towards his Headband, and a sizzling sound followed. It now revealed a musical note. The symbol of Otogakure. "That was fun. You two really are brothers. I can see power in your eyes that surpass Itachi's." Hearing the name, Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Just who the hell are you?" he demanded.

"My name is Orochimaru," he explained, bringing out the Earth scroll he had swallowed. It burst into flames. "If you want to see me again, then survive and pass this exam. "But defeating my Oto-nin, who are coming. Defeating them will be difficult." Orochimaru put his hands up in a different hand seal. "Allow me to help you out." Sasuke and Sakura watched in horror as the man's neck elongated, with fangs in his mouth. Sasuke had barely enough time, before he had bitten on his neck. "You will seek me, if you want power." The bite marks on his neck twisted, and formed into three tomoes. Suddenly, Orochimaru sank into the ground without another word.

(A few moments later)

Sakura looked over the two boys, as they slept. Momo had gone off to find more food, leaving her to take care of Naruto and Sasuke. Suddenly, the Uchiha's eyes eyes snapped open, and he began to scream, and grasp his head. The pink haired girl panicked, wondering what to do. "Sasuke-kun?" she exclaimed, trying to call him down. "What's wrong? Please, hang in there!" She looked around, but couldn't find anyone. Even if she did, it would've probably been an enemy. In a few minute, Sasuke fell back to sleep. Sakura put him down, and put her hand on his forehead. "He has a high fever."

(Meanwhile)

Neji, Tenten, and Lee sat on the roots of a large tree, chewing on some emergency rations. The Hyuga looked up at the shining moon, and sighed. "Alright," he said. "This is what we'll do. The sun should be up in less than an hour. We've spent a day gathering food and water." He paused for a while. "Most teams are resting, so we should attack during this time as planned." His teammates looked at Neji with attentive eyes. "We'll split up, and spend half an hour scouting the area. But, whether you find another team or not, we'll return here, in exactly 30 minutes. Got that?" Neji finished with stabbing a kunai into the earth. Looking at his teammates, he could see the fire in their eyes.

"All right," Tenten agreed with vigor.

"You can count on me," Lee followed with a salute. With that, the three separated to do their jobs.

(Sakura)

The girl had put a towel over the Uchiha's forehead, and was now about to clean Naruto's cuts. But as she searched for the cuts that made such a big bloodstain, all Sakura found, were small scratches, and dried blood around it. They couldn't possibly have made such big stains. "What's with this guy?" she asked herself, as she cleaned the area around the scratches. "At first, he looked so injured, but there's not a single fatal wound on his body." After bandaging his body, she began to eat some of the leftover snake meat. She was so hungry, she could eat anything.

(Above)

Three figures watched over the pink haired girl, and her teammates. "As Orochimaru-sama commanded, we attack at daybreak," the bandaged boy said, with a raspy voice. "Our target is Uchiha Sasuke." The person next to him, a person with spiky lack hair, grinned.

"But if the other two get in our way," he began, "We can kill them, right?" The one in the bandages nodded, not taking his eyes on his target.

(Sakura)

Sakura found her eyes slowly drooping, so she began to shake her head to keep herself awake. "I can't fall asleep," she told herself, lightly slapping her cheeks. Looking up, she saw a bright light. "The sun?" Suddenly, a rustling sounded behind her, making her her tense up. She instinctively brought out a kunai, and looked behind her. She was ready to attack, but was surprised to see a squirrel. She blanked, and mentally cursed herself for being so paranoid. "Geez," Sakura complained to the furry animal. "Don't scare me like that." The squirrel began to walk towards her direction, and she suddenly threw a kunai at it. The projectile pierced the ground just in front of the animal, and it went bug-eyed. With a slight squeal, it ran away. Sakura sighed in relief.

(Above)

The spiky haired boy sucked on his teeth. "She noticed the explosive not on the squirrel?" The one covered in bandages shook his head.

"That's not it," he replied.

"What do you mean, Dosu?"

"We'll find out, when we get closer." He motioned for his teammates to follow him. The three disappeared, only to reappear on the ground. The sound of them touching the grass made Sakura look towards the area. Her eyes widened, as she looked at the Oto-nin looking at her. "Looks like you've been up all night," Dosu cackled, his head at an impossible angle. The pink haired girl secretly reached for a kunai, unsure if she could take on all three of the ninjas. In her tired state, she wouldn't be able to do much at all. "I guess it doesn't matter though. Wake up Sasuke. We want to fight him." Sakura gritted her teeth. It seemed that the fake Kusa-nin was telling the truth.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, recalling Orochimaru's last words. "I know that someone named Orochimaru is pulling all the strings in this facade. What's his purpose?" She was determined to get some answers from the Oto-nin. But looking at them, they had expressions of shock. It made her suspicious. "Tell me, what is this weird mark on Sasuke-kun's neck?" She pointed to Sasuke's sleeping body. The three seemed to be even more confused. "You did this to him, and now you want to fight him?" Dosu, Zaku, and Kin stayed silent for a while, before the spiky haired boy scoffed.

"What the hell is that man thinking?" he asked to no one in particular?" Sakura realized that even they did not know what was going on. "But hearing that, we can't let you go." Zaku's face grew more maniacal. "I'll kill this girl, and I'll also kill this Sasuke guy!" He began to walk towards Sakura, before Dosu stopped him. He extended his arm so that his teammate could not take another step. "What is it, Dosu? Can't you see that I'm about to kill her?" The one covered in bandages crouched down, and felt the earth.

"You're not very good," he said simply, but it didn't seem to be directed to Zaku. Sakura's eye narrows, as a bead of sweat trickled down her face. "A recently overturned stone, and different colored dirt. Also, grass doesn't grow here." Zaku looked at his comrade, waiting for him to finish explaining. Dosu let out a mocking laugh, and shook his head. "A booby trap is pointless unless it goes unnoticed." He ripped up the grass. "You threw that kunai to stop the squirrel from triggering the trap, didn't you?" He turned to the other two. "Kill her." The Oto-nin leaped up, avoiding the floor. But Sakura was unfazed. She smirked, before taking out a kunai, and slashing it behind her. The sound of string being cut, alerted the three, and they looked up. They were met with a giant log that had been suspended in the air. "Another trap?" Dosu yelled, surprise. But it quickly turned into a cocky look. "Just kidding!" He put one hand on the log just as it was about to crush them, and brought his other hand in a seal. Sakura watched in horror as the trap was demolished into thousands of wood chips. "Frankly speaking, you have no talent. People like you have to work harder. A weakling such as yourself shouldn't mess with people like us.

The three got neared towards the pink haired girl. Just as they were about to attack...

"Konoha Senpu(Leaf Whirlwind)!" A green blur hit the Oto-nin, making them scatter. The blur landed in front of Sakura and her eyes widened when she recognized it. Lee stood with his hand in front of him. The squirrel, now free from the exploding tag, was settled on his shoulder. "If what you're saying is true, then you should also work harder." Dosu's visible eye narrowed.

"Who are you?" he demanded, making Lee smirk at him.

"You can call me the Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha: Rock Lee!" He looked behind at Sakura, who was wondering where he had come from. Before she could ask, he interrupted her. "I will always appear when you are in trouble." Lee took the squirrel, and set it on the ground, with a silent "thank you."

"Thank you," Sakura said, sincerely grateful.

"I told you, that I would protect you until I die." _'Sweet!'_ Lee screamed in his mind. _'I said something so cool in front of Sakura-chan!'_ Meanwhile, the girl's face was unimpressed with the line. She turned her head back to the enemy, and threw her kunai at Dosu. He scoffed, and jumped into the air.

"It'll take more than that, girl!" He taunted, opening his hand to attack. But as he did, he noticed that Lee had shoved his hand in the earth. His eyes widened, when he ripped out a huge root with his bare hand.

"There's some trick to you attack, isn't there?" he asked. "I'm not going to simply dodge it. I've seen your attack before." Saku smirked, while Kin remained silent. Lee added to himself. "But at 3 against 1, I'm at a disadvantage. I'll have to risk it...I have to each of them with full force." Lee took a deep breath before, carefully unwrapping the cloth that covered his hands and arms. "Sorry, Gai-sensei, but I'll have to use this technique." His thoughts went back to his Jounin teacher.

"Listen to my warm message!" Gai had said, after punching Lee's face. "As of right now, this technique, 'Lotus,' will be forbidden, you hear me? This technique puts a lot of strain on your muscle fibers, making it a suicidal move. Normally, a human can only gain access to 20% of their muscle power. Using 100% will cause your muscles to tear apart. But despite this...I will only allow you to use this technique one, and ONLY once, and only when you're in a very dire situation. And when I say very dire, I mean VERY dire, you got that? If you do more than that without consulting me, I'LL BEAT YOU WHERE YOU STAND!" Dosu was about to land a hit on Lee, when he suddenly vanished out of sight. Everyone was surprised when he reappeared under the bandaged boy, crouching. With a push of an arm, Lee spun around, and launched his foot at the Oto-nin's chin. He was immediately propelled into the air by a couple yards. But Lee wasn't finished, and used his other arm to push himself of the ground, until he reached his opponent. He used his unwrapped bandages, and began to mummify the Oto-nin, who was surprised at the a strong pull, he redirected both of them to point at the ground.

"I'm not finished yet!" Lee yelled, as began to spin around in a drill like manner.

"Shit!" Zaku excalimed, going through hand seals. "With him wrapped like that, Dosu can't protect himself!"

"Omote Renge(Front Lotus)!" Just before the two hit the ground, Lee was able to separate from Dosu, and jump out of harm's way. At the same time, Zaku slammed his hands on the ground. A cloud of dust rose, and as it cleared, Dosu was buried head first into the ground. But Lee was surprised, when the bandaged boy simply pulled himself out, laughing. "What? That's impossible!"

"That's a pretty terrifying move you got there," Dosu cackled, extending his hand to his side. "To think, that there would be this much damage, even on a sponge of dirt. But now it's my turn." Lee tried to escape the Oto-nin's incoming attack, but found himself unable to move a muscle.

"This is bad," Lee muttered. "I have to dodge it!" With as mush willpower as he could muster, Lee was able to dodge the punch that Dosu had launched. But suddenly, Lee was forced on his knees by an unknown power. His vision began to blur, and his ears bled. The Oto-nin laughed.

"If your moves are at high speed, then ours are at the speed of sound. I'm about to show you a wall that no amount of training, can surpass." Lee threw up, just like Kabuto had done, back in the first test. Dosu raised his gauntlet, which was filled with holes. "There is a trick here. You can't just dodge my attacks. If you haven't figured it out yet, it's all sound. Even if you dodge my fist, sound will do the trick instead...Tell me...Do you know what sound really is?"

"It's vibration," Sakura answered.

"Exactly. Hearing sound, means that your ear is catching the shaking in the air. The human eardrum will break at a frequency exceeding 150mhz(mega hertz). And deeper in the ear, is the inner ear membrane. Damaging that makes you lose your balance. Unfortunately for you, you won't be able to move for a while."

"Lame old taijutsu won't work on us," Zaku taunted, taking his hand out of the earth. "Well, I should give you props for doing so well, and making me use my Jutsu. You see, I can freely control supersonic sound waves, and air pressure. I even have the power to destroy a rock. Blasting air into the earth, and creating a cushion, is nothing." He held up his palm, revealing a hole at the palms of his hands. Lee grit his teeth in anger, trying to move. Dosu let out another cackle, and set his eyes on Sakura.

"Now it's your turn," he said, getting ready to attack. To even his his surprise, Lee pushed himself off the ground, and rushed towards the Oto-nin. "Impossible!"

"Konoha Senpu!" But rather that hitting Dosu, he was able to catch his foot.

"Oh? it seems that the attack is effecting you after all. You scared me there for a moment, but it seems that you've lost the ability to repeat attacks in a flash." He punched Lee, who was able to block it with his arm. Lee cringed as the gauntlet collided with his arm. Also, the vibrations in the air, made him grit his teeth. "This gauntlet multiplies even the smallest of sounds to their ultimate level. You could say that it is a speaker, but the sound doesn't follow the direction of the arm. My chakra makes it so that it always hits the foe. Lee yelled, as he clutched his ear. Dosu raised his gauntlet, ready to finish the Genin. But Sakura intervened, by throwing a numer of Shurikens. Unfortunately, the gauntlet acted as a shield. "Oh, jeez." She grabbed another handful, and threw them as well. But this time, Zaku stepped up, and aimed his hands at the pink haired girl. A huge blast of air stopped the projectiles in midair, and sent it back to her. Sakura herself, was also sent back a bit, and she stumbled. Kin appeared before her, and grabbed her pink mop, making Sakura cringe in pain.

"My, your hair," Kin said, finally speaking. "Much better than mine, I have to say." She pulled harder, causing the girl to yell. "If you have time to do your hair, then you should also train, swine. Zaku, would you do the honor of killing that Sasuke boy in front of this boy chaser? Let's teach her a life lesson." Sakura's eyes widened, as she tried to get away from the Oto-nin.

_'Damn it!'_ Sakura yelled at herself. _'__I'm just getting in the way of things. I'm always being protected...I thought I could at least protect my friends.'_ Zaku smirked, and nodded eagerly. Suddenly, Sakura took out a kunai, to which Kin scoffed.

"That won't work on me," she taunted. Looking down, she was confused as to why she would be grinning.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura asked, raising her arm. With a swift move, the pink haired girl cut the hair that Kin was holding on to. "I always thought of myself as a proud Shinobi. I always said that I liked Sasuke-kun, and I would always lecture Naruto-san, as if he was lower than me. But in truth, I was the one who was always watching from behind, doing nothing. Even then, they fought to protect me. Lee said he liked me, and risked his life for me. You see, I already learned a lesson. I wanted to be like them. So this time, make sure to watch _me_. She began to go through seals, while Zaku did the same. Kin, used this opportunity to pierce the now short haired girl's body. But instead of skin, she had pierced through wood.

"Kawarimi!" she yelled in surprise. Zakku looked to his left, and saw Sakura charging him. She threw several kuani.

"Useless!" he exclaimed, raising his palms towards her. "100% air pressure, 0% sound waves." With a thrust of hands, he shouted, "Zankuha(Decapitating Airwaves)!" Sending all of the kunai, back, all of them pierced yet another log. This time, Sakura was in the air, her hands in a seal. zaku was the one to throw the kunais, thinking that it was another Kawarimi. But this time, the projectiles pierced Sakura's arm. She pulled one out, and stabbed one of his arms, while biting another. Zaku yelled in pain. "Get off me!"

Ino, who was watching the fight with her team, looked at Sakura with amazement. When they had met, Sakura looked so feeble and fragile, always worried about people making fun of her forehead. But now, she seemed so strong, and it made her hard to recognize her. "That's...Sakura?" she asked no one in particular.

After a long struggle, Zaku pushed the girl away from him "You brat!" he yelled, ready to finish her off. Sakura flipped through hand seals.

"Dot-" But before she could finish, Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji stepped in front of her. "Ino..." The platinum blonde looked back at Sakura with a grin.

She turned back, and said, "I told you when we were little, that i would never lose to you, didn't I?"

(Meanwhile)

Sasuke opened his eyes, but found nothing but white.  
>"Huh?" he asked himself. "Where am I?" He couldn't find a trace of his teammates, the forest, or even that snake-man. "Naruto! Sakura! Where are you guys? I swear, if you're playing a trick on me, Naruto..." Suddenly, he heard someone crying. Sasuke quickly looked behind himself, and found... himself. And not in a emotional way, Uchiha Sasuke was looking at Uchiha Sasuke. Or rather, a younger version of himself.<p>

"Mom..." the boy sobbed. "Dad... They didn't have to die...In the end, if you don't have strength, you can't do anything. Because I didn't have strength, the clan, everyone was killed...No. You let them die." His younger self looked up with a maniacal look. He began to peel off his skin, much like Orochimaru. "All you did was watch. If only you had strength."

(Outside)

"Are you crazy?" Choji yelled, as he tried to pry his scarf from Shikamaru. "If we take them on, we'll be eaten! Let go, Shikamaru!" Zaku, who was watching the CHUBBY boy struggle, scoffed.

"You can leave if you want to...fatty." At that, Choji froze. The Konoha Genin tensed up, as they looked at the Akimichi.

"...What did he say?" he asked in a dangerous voice. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear him." Shikamaru sighed.

"This is going to be troublesome," he droned in his usual tone. "That word is taboo to Choji. If you say it again-"

"I said, you can leave if you want to, Fatass!" If one were to really listen closely, they would hear the sound of Choji's temper being lost. The Akimichi looked at Zaku with the eyes of an animal.

"I'M NOT A FATASS! I'M JUST CHUBBY, DAMN IT! HOORAY FOR CHUBBY! Alright, that's it! From now on, this isn't just an exam battle. Now, it's war between Konoha and Oto!"

"He snapped," Ino noted, seeing it a a boon on their repeated his favorite word, and let go of Choji's scarf. "Alright, time for our special move: Ino-Shika-Cho Formation! Go, Choji!" The Akimichi nodded.

"Baika no Jutsu!" He called, releasing his Jutsu. Everyone watched as Choji's abdomen expanded to the point where his arms simply stuck out. "Next, Nikudan Sensha(Human Bullet Tank)!" His arms, legs, and head was sucked into his body, and he began to spin like a boulder towards the Oto-nin. Zaku smirked, and simply held up his hands.

"Just a rolling fat ass. Zankuha!" A gust of wind threatened to blow the boy away, but he suddenly stopped and launched himself upwards. "What? Bounced up? With all his spinning, air pressure's not going to work at all. If I try to touch him, no doubt I'll be crushed." Dosu sensed his teammate's problem, and tried to help him. But when he tried to move, he couldn't even twitch.

"Sorry, can't let you do that," a voice droned behind him. "You're the worst of them all." Before Choji could crush Zaku, the Oto-nin was able to move aside.

"What is this?" Dosu demanded. "Why can't I move?"

"If you still haven't figured it out, you might want to look under you." Only able to move his eyes, the Oto-nin looked down. His shadow extended to somewhere else. It connected to Shikamaru's. "The Kagemane(Shadow Imitation) no Jutsu. I'm in control of your body now, Oto-nin. Now, let's see what you can do." Releasing his hands from the seal, Shikamaru put his hands up to his head like antennas. Dosu, to his surprise, did the same.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kin yelled, seeing Dosu's pose. "This is no time to fool around!"

"There's just the girl, Ino." The Yamanaka nodded, and flipped through seals.

"Make sure my body is safe," she said, before going into her clan's seal. "Shintenshin(Mind Body Switch) no Jutsu!" Ino's body tensed up, and then went limp. Shikamaru was able to catch her, before she hit the ground. Looking at Kin, she was also tensed up.

"Whoa," Choji muttered, as he held his head. "Who turned the world upside down?"

"It's over now," Ino yelled, in Kin't body. She held up a kunai. "If you guys move an inch, I'll kill this girl! Once I can't feel your Chakra, I'll let her go. Now I suggest you hand over your scroll, and get out of here." The two Oto-nin didn't move, making Ino/Kin raise an eyebrow. Suddenly, Zaku faced his air holes towards Kin.

"Ino!" Sakura yelled. "They're not going to-"

"Zankuha!" The spiky haired boy let out a gust of wind, that hit Kin full force. She slammed into a tree, and bit her cheek in the process. Along with Kin, Ino's original body began to bleed as well. "It seems you're mistaken. Our goals are not the stupid scrolls, or to safely pass the exam. We're here for Sasuke!" Dosu cackled, and looked down. Shikamaru's shadow detached from his.

"It seems the limit is 5 minutes," he noted. "Good to know. Now, why don't we finish this?" A loud sigh caught everyone's attention. They looked towards one direction, and found Neji and Tenten.

"Just some minor Oto-nins bullying second rate Shinobi and declaring victory. You made a mistake beating up my Teammate like that. For that, you'll pay!" The Oto-nins glared. "Take one more move, and I'm going all out."

"If you have something to say," Dosu taunted. "Why don't you stop acting cool, and come down here."

"...? No. It's not necessary for me." With a point of a finger, he pointed towards the ones that were unconscious. Everyone looked towards the direction, and found two people standing. Sasuke, covered in smoke, and riddled with markings. His eyes looked darker than usual. Beside him, was Naruto, rubbing his eyes. He let out a loud yawn.

"Alright," the blonde muttered, stretching his back. "Who the hell is making all that noise?" The raven haired boy looked at his teammate with glaring eyes.

"You might want to read the situation, Naruto," he scolded in a cold tone. "Sakura. Tell me, who did that to you?" The blonde tilted his head, and looked over Sakura's state. His eyes narrowed, and locked on to the Oto-nin. "Well?"

"Th curse seal is wrapped around his whole body!" Dosu hissed at Zaku, who was smirking once more.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura said. "Your body!" The Uchiha raised his left arm, and took a good look at it. He could see the markings clearly.

"Don't worry about it. Not only that, I feel power overflowing through me." His teeth fashioned into a grin. "It feels great...I understand now, that I am on a path that must gain power. I am an avenger." Dosu was slightly paralyzed with fear, at the fact that Sasuke was able to stand from getting the Cursed Seal. Along with Naruto, he glared at the Oto-nin. "It was you three, wasn't it?"

"Ino!" Shikamaru yelled. "Get out of that girl's body, before you get hurt! Choji, come here too!"

"Kai(Release)!" Ino/Kin yelled, going back to her real body. The three hid somewhere to get out of the way.

"There's no need to be scared of this half dead freak!" Zaku laughed, slapping his hands together.

"No, Zaku!" Dosu yelled with fear in his voice. But the spiky haired boy hisn't listen.

"Zankukyokuha(Extreme Decapitating Airwaves)!" With much force, Zaku created a gust of air waves much more powerful than normal. It impacted at Sasuke's direction. "I got him!"But when the dust from the wave cleared, the Naruto and Sasuke were still standing. The Jinchuuriki was in front of Sasuke with his arm extended. It was slightly scathed.

"Not exactly," Naruto taunted with a grin. "It'll take more than a slight breeze to kill us. He turned to the Uchiha.

"Thanks for that," Sasuke replied. "Let me do the rest, Naruto. I got a bone to pick with them." At his words, the blonde nodded, and stepped away. Sasuke grinned, and with greater speed than usual, appeared behind Zaku. The spiky haired boy soon found himself flying backwards due to a strike from the Uchiha.

"Fast!" he muttered, as he struggled to stand up. But Sasuke wasn't finished. He rapidly went through seals.

"Katon: Hosenka(Phoenix Sage Fire) no Jutsu!" He released a volley of fireballs that all went towards Zaku.

"So what?" Zaku yelled. "I'll just blow them away." But something was wrong. Before he knew it, there were cuts all over his arms. "What? Shuriken inside the flames?"

"Zaku!" Dosu warned. "Below!" The boy looked down, but was too late. The Uchiha grabbed both of his arms from behind, and put his leg on Zaku's back.

Meanwhile, Naruto was looking at Sasuke with curious eyes. "...He seems different. His Chakra, and his attitude...It's like he's a different person." He slid his cloth upwards. "Just in case, I might need this."

"You look so proud of these arms," Sasuke said maliciously. In an instant, The Uchiha gave a strong pull. A loud snap could be heard, as Zaku's bones broke. He let out a loud agonizing scream that made everyone cringe. Sasuke shifted his eyes towards Dosu. "And then there was one. Make sure you put up more of a fight. He began to stalk towards the boy. But just then, A wall of fire appeared in between them.

"Stop it," Naruto deadpanned, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder. The Uchiha turned his head to look at the blonde, but soon found himself on the ground. His hand went to his cheek, which was now bleeding. "Look at me." Sasuke did as he was told, coming face to face with two crimson pupils. "Would you stop being so broody...So I don't have to hit you so much." He held out his hand for the raven haired boy to take. Sasuke looked at it with hesitation, but took it nonetheless. Slowly, the seals all over his hand and arm began to recede, as if they were being sucked into the seal on Sasuke's neck. Dosu was surprised to see this, but also relieved. Suddenly, all that relief washed away, as a glow over-shined the fire. Naruto emerged from the flames.

"H-hey!" Dosu stammered, slowly backing away. "I'm sorry, alright? I don't have the Earth Scroll with me. I lost it on the way here! Please, spare me." Looking at Dosu's frightened form, Naruto scoffed.

"What's your intentions?" he demanded. "Who is Orochimaru, and What has he done to Sasuke?"

"I can't tell you much about him, since I barely met the guy. We were just ordered to kill the Uchiha, but we didn't expect him to have a Cursed Seal. L-look, can I just leave?" Naruto glared even more.

"Get out of my sight, Oto-nin." Everyone watched as Dosu picked up both of his teammates, and disappear into the woods. The blonde, once confirming their distance, turned back towards the Konoha Genin. "Looks like none of us have the counterpart of our scrolls." Everyone looked surprised, before remembering that they were still in the Exam. "Our first priority, is to find something to eat..." At that moment, there was a red blur, and Momo appeared with a huge amount of raw meat in a basket.

"Huh?" the Bijuu asked, tilting her head at all the destruction in the area. "What the hell did I miss, and why didn't you save me anyone to beat on?"

"Momo!" Naruto yelled in a childish tone, as he leaped towards his friend. "You brought back so much food! Now we won't go hungry!" Choji, who went out of hiding, stood next to him with the same facial expression.

"Well that's fine and dandy, but we're going to have to cook all of this first. Why don't we go back to the house?" Naruto stopped, and looked back at everyone else. "It's alright, Naruto-kun. I don't think it'll cause any problems if we bring them. Well?"

"Well alright, but you guys better not ruin anything. Follow us. Plus, I have a feeling that _he_ might have something for us." Everyone was confused as to "he" was, but they followed the blonde and redhead as they led them deeper into the forest. Soon, the Konoha-nins found themselves at a large building that they were surprised to see in a forest like this. "Alright, whatever you do, don't provoke the person inside." With a loud sigh, Naruto opened the doors into the building. "Oi, Zabuza-san. Did anyone-"

"They're in the back," the former Nuke-nin interrupted, taking a bite out of a large piece of cooked meat. "Damn kids trying to barge into my home...Catch..." Zabuza reached somewhere behind him, and tossed a black scroll. Naruto expertly caught it, and smiled.

"Thank you, Zabuza-san," he said. NAruto turned to the others, who had shocked faces. Even Neji was a bit surprised. "No need to worry, guys. He's not gonna hurt you. Come inside." With that, Momo and Naruto entered the building, followed by the rest of Team 7, and then everyone else. They made sure to steer clear of Zabuza, making the man roll his eyes. Naruto walked into the kitchen, seeing Haku washing her dish. "Hoy, Haku!" Surprised by his voice, the black haired girl froze, and quickly stepped back. She looked at the blonde with wide eyes.

"N-Naruto-san?" she stuttered, before closing the faucet. "Is there something you need?" Naruto and Momo raised an eyebrow at her reaction, but shook it off.

"Actually, do you mind helping us cook all of this meat?" Momo asked, as she shuffled the basket in her hands. Haku blinked, before nodding. Naruto peeked his head from the kitchen.

"It'll take a while before the food is done. Try to search for the scroll you need in the mean time." The other Genin nodded, and began to search for their opposite scroll. Naruto, Momo, and Haku began to grill, boil, or fry the meat that Momo had gathered. Each were able to show their surprising culinary skills. That night, the Genin were able to feast, to which even Neji was satisfied with. Now it was dark, and too dangerous to be outside.

"Alright," Zabuza exclaimed, with his Zanbato in his hand to intimidate the Genin. "For the night, I'm your landlord. You will all sleep on the ground, with each at least ten feet apart. I don't want any of you to touch anything, or rearrange anything, or even smell anything. Don't even think of touching the seals all over the walls, unless you want to be fried. Also, no raiding the fridge, you got that? Akimichi?" Choji froze, and scratched his head in embarrassment. And lastly, don't you Ever! EVER! Think about going upstairs. If I catch any of you near Haku, I will not hesitate in leaving you incapacitated! If you are a guy, I will personally castrate you slowly, got that?" After yelling the last part of his set of rules, the Jounin finished with swinging down his Kibikiri Houcho, and baring his shark-like teeth. No doubt, the Genin were scared shitless. "Are we clear? Good. Have a nice night now!" With a sudden friendly tone, he dropped himself in the couch, blade still in hand, and began to snore instantly. Naruto nervously laughed, and waved goodnight to the scared group. With Momo beside him, the two walked back to their little hut.

"Oh man," the blonde mumbled, stretching his arms. "I'm so tired. That Orochimaru guy beat me up pretty badly. And then there was that thing with Sasuke. Just what the hell is going on?" Momo shrugged.

"If I knew anything about the matter, I would tell you. But unfortunately, I got nothing, Sorry." Naruto sighed, and climbed into the entrance of the "house."

"It's alright, Momo-chan. I doubt you-" The blonde stopped, as he looked at his bed. Momo saw that, and followed his gaze. Where the blonde slept, was a large lump covered in a blanket. He watched the lump rise and fall, as if it was breathing. Naruto stepped forward, and gripped the blanket, and ripped it away from the object. Suddenly, he stepped back, and dropped the cloth, as he saw what was underneath. "What the hell?" Naruto was beyond surprised to see a girl sleeping on his bed. She had her back turned to him, so he could not see her face. "Momo? Do you know who this is?" Momo shook her head.

"First I've seen her...You didn't bring her hear, did you?" Suddenly, her voice was full of suspicion. The blonde quickly waved his hands in front of him.

"No way, I couldn't have brought someone here. I would've remembered it. Plus, do I look like that sort of person?" Momo stopped, and brought her hand to her chin in thought. "...You really have to think?" Momo giggled, showing that she was kidding. The blonde rolled his eyes, and looked back at the sleeping girl. "Now to wake her up...HEY WAKE UP, GIRL!" Naruto was surprised when the girl launched her fist towards the blonde. He quickly caught it, before it could it his face.

"Would you be quiet? I'm trying to sleep here," she mumbled groggily. She sat up, and rubbed her eyes. "Geez, after traveling for 3 fucking days straight, you'd think that I'd earn a moment of sleep."

"Well sorry," Naruto replied sarcastically, letting go of her hand. "But you kinda took my-" He was interrupted when the girl's hand grabbed the front of his shirt. He was met with a fierce glare.

"Listen, Blondie. I have been running my ass off, trying to get to a safe place. I am NOT going to let you destroy what small amount of rest I have, or so help me, I'll punch you so hard that you'll be greeting the Shinigami." Naruto laughed nervously, while raising his hands in defense.

"Hey, Momo-chan," he called, with a playful tone. "You didn't tell me that you had a sister. I can even see the resemblance!"

"I am not that loud, fishcake!" The Bijuu yelled, contradicting herself.

(Later)

Naruto got a good look at the girl. She had long, untamed, red hair, which was covered on top with a black hat with bandages on the sides. She wore a tan tunic, with black shorts and standard black shinobi sandals. "So, your name is Tayuya?" The redhead nodded. "No clan name?" A shake meaning "no". "And you say that you are from Otogakure, and escaped, running for 3 days straight, until you reached Konoha, and somehow bypassed security?"

"Actually, it wasn't that hard," Tayuya confessed. "Thanks to this Chunin Exam stuff, I was able to pass off as an exam taker. Plus, some dumbass dropped his passport, and I just used Genjutsu to change the contents."

"Uh-huh..." Naruto folded his arms, and let out a tired sigh. "And tell me why I shouldn't report you to the Hokage."

"Well, you're lucky I'm not killing you right now. If I was at full strength, I would pummel you to the ground in a second." The blonde let out a slight chuckle. "What the hell is so funny, Fishcake?" Tayuya smirked, when Naruto's eye twitched. "What an interesting nickname you got there." She looked away, hiding the smile. "But then again, I personally enjoy eating fishcakes. A nice ramen topping, if I do say so myself."

"For the last time, my name means 'Maelstrom!' And yes, it is a great topping, that I enjoy very much!" Momo rolled her eyes with a mutter of "cannibal." "You still didn't answer my question. Why shouldn't I report you?" Tayuya ceased her teasing immediately, and steeled her eyes.

"Let me guess...your friends with an Uchiha, right? Sasuke was his name?" Naruto's eyes widened.

"Yes, that's right." Tayuya grinned.

"And let me guess again. He was bitten by that snaky bastard Orochimaru, and got a little mark on his neck. Next thing he knew, he was covered in markings, and was power crazy?"

"How do you know this?" The redhead lifted the back of her unkempt hair, and pointed with her thumb. Naruto walked over to her, and took a peek. He gasped, when he saw the three "L" shaped marks that looked just like Sasuke's tomoe shaped marks. "Look familiar, kid? Though your friend's marks should be different, it should be the same basic positioning. It's called a Cursed Seal. But if I'm correct, Orochimaru, used the Cursed Seal of Heaven, which is stronger than my own." She let go of her hair, covering the mark once more. "You see, I can tell you all about what Orochimaru has planned for your little village. And trust me, you'll need it." From what she had told him, Naruto was certain that Tayuya had some answers for the questions that he had been having. Realizing this, he sighed once more.

"You're right. So you'll tell me all about that snake's plans, if I don't report you?"

"That sounds fair. But not today." Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You're still in an exam, correct? finish that, first, and I'll tell you all you need to know. Also, I'm taking your bed, so good night." The blonde's eye twitched, as Tayuya took his bed again. Momo had already fallen asleep in a sitting pose, so he decided to join her. but not without two more question,

"Tayuya," he called. The redhead grunted, signaling that she was still awake. "Why are you so willing to tell me stuff like this? And why did you leave Oto?" At first, Tayuya was silent.

"I'm willing to tell you, because it will keep me alive...And I left, because I hated Oto. I couldn't stand being there. Even when I was a thief like everyone else, I was looked upon as if I was a common fly. No one gave a fuck when I was injured, nor when I was hungry. You don't know how that feels. Being ignored like that." Naruto scoffed. "What the hell are you scoffing for? You think this is some sort of joke?"

"I find your pain to be miniscule...To be ignored...What a familiar feeling. Maybe someday, I will tell you about what _I've_ gone through."

"What you've gone through? What do you mean?" No answer. "Hey fishcake, what d-" she was interrupted by the sound of snoring. Tayuya looked behind her to see Naruto resting his head on Momo's shoulder. She noted that even in his sleep, the blonde seemed to be trembling, as if he was expecting an attack. She figured it was typical ninja senses, but this seemed different. Tayuya shook all of those thoughts away, when her tiredness came back. She closed her eyes, and resumed her sleep.

(The next day)

"Oi," Tayuya called, looking at the blonde as he sat on the floor. There was a glowing green outline on his body, as he colsed his eyes. "Fishcake?" Twitch. Momo put a hand on her shoulder and put her finger to her lips, telling her to be quiet. In a quieter tone, she asked, "What's he doing?"

"If you must know," Momo replied in an equally quiet tone. "Right now, he's looking through the WHOLE forest." She saw Tayuya's confused look. "Well, it's a bit complicated, but he developed this Jutsu to be able to quickly scan through the area. Probably looking for Team 8, since he hasn't seen a sign of them yet. By the way, I don't believe I've given you my name. I'm Momo."

"What, no Clan name?"

"Well it's not exactly a Clan name, but I'm trying to use the last name 'Kurama.'" Suddenly, Naruto's hands ignited with fire, as his eyes snapped open.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed, as he stood up. "Not him! Anyone but him! At this rate, they're goners!"

"Wait," Momo interjected. "What's going on, Naruto-kun? What did you see?"

"It's Gaara! He's come in contact with Hinata's Team. They're not far from here, so I should be able to get there before anything chaotic happens." Without another word, he broke through the wall, and ran outside. "I'll fix it later!" The two watched him disappear into the trees.

"...Is he always like that?" Tayuya asked. "Kinda jump, that one, don't you think so, Peachy?" Momo nodded.

"Yeah, he is...Wait, what did you call me?"

(Team 8)

"Insignificant flies," Gaara said, in his usual raspy voice, as he walked slowly towards the three Konoha Genin.

"Gaara, that's enough!" Temari scolded, trying to stop the red haired boy. "We already have the Scrolls, so we should just get back to the center!" Gaara looked back at the girl with a glare.

"I am not satisfied yet," he replied, before pointing at the bloody stain on the floor. "Mother needs more blood. And these three will ease her hunger. Kiba, Hinata, and even Shino were scared to their wits, after having seen what the Suna-nin could do. Before their eyes, Gaara had trapped another Shinobi in sand, and mercilessly crushed him. Blood splattered the ground like rain. They had tried to harm Gaara with projectiles, but no matter what they threw at him, the sand would protect him. "There's nowhere to run, Konoha-nin. You will prove to be a great meal for my mother."

"But Gaara!" Kankuro interjected. "You do-"

"Will you shut up? I will kill BOTH you if you get in my way." The black clad boy gulped, and stepped back. Gaara turned his head back to Team 8 with dead eyes. "Now let's finish you off, shall we? In an instant, a steam of sand came out of Gaara's gourd, and moved itself towards Kiba and his teammates. They spread out, so that there were more targets, but it was futile, because the sand stream split into three, and began to gain speed towards each Genin. "Stop running. It's all wasted energy in the end. You should just die already.

"Damn it," Kiba growled, running on all fours. "We gotta get away from this guy, if we want to pass! But he won't let us run away.

"It seems that we're trapped on all sides," Shino said with slight fear in his voice. "Not even my Kikaichu bugs can reach him." He jumped to his side, to avoid an upcoming tree. The san smoothly swerved to do the same. Meanwhile, Hinata, who had her Byakugan activated, looked for any exit, or opening that her team could go through. Instead, what she saw was even better.

"Someone's coming!" Hinata called, with a relieved tone. "It's Naruto-kun!" Everyone heard this, and looked around for the blonde. Gaara narrowed his eyes, trying to find where the fellow Jinchuuriki would strike. "Naruto-kun! Over here!"

Naruto was leaping from tree branch to tree ranch, towards the direction of his friends, when he heard the sound of Hinata's voice. It was fearful, and calling for help. "Found them!" he exclaimed, pumping Chakra in his feet. As soon as he touched the next tree branch, he pushed with all his might, and shot off like a rocket. The large force caused the top half of the tree to snap from the rest of the trunk. Crimson flames traveled behind him, as she sped up towards the clearing. He could see the redheaded Jinchuuriki with his arm outstretched as he controlled the sand. He also saw the members of Team 8, being pursued. Naruto pulled the cloth from his eye, and flipped through hand seals."Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!" With a deep breath, Naruto let out a rain of fire, that struck the sand following his friends. They heated to the point that the grains turned to glass. Being a different substance, Gaara lost control of the newly formed glass, making it fall down. "Hinata-chan, Kiba, Shino! Get out of here!" The three were happy to hear his voice. "Keep running to the direction behind me, and you should see shelter. Just say you're with me."

"But Nar-" Hinata tried to protest, but Naruto would not have any of it.

"I will not hear your protests! Just get out!" Kiba put his hand on Hinata's shoulder, and led her away from the battleground. They passed Naruto, towards the direction that he had told them to go to. Now, it was only Naruto, and the Suna-nins. The blonde cracked his neck and fingers, before taking a huge breath. Gaara continued to stand still, waiting for Naruto's next move. "Look's like it's just you three and me. You got both scrolls already, Gaara, so I suggest you get to the safe house.

"You're pretty dumb," Kankuro mocked. "Those guys could've helped you, but you told them to get lost. Do you really think that you could take Gaara on?" Naruto ignored him, and focused all his attention on the Ichibi holder.

"Why are you interfering?" Gaara demanded.

"I already told you. You have both scrolls already, so just go to the safe house. You have no business with anyone else now."

"Oh, but Mother is still not satisfied with the amount of blood she has gotten. I shall take yours, to quench her thirst. Fight me, Uzumaki Naruto!" The blonde remained silent, and brought his hands close, in case he needed to release a Jutsu. Suddenly, Gaara's sand gushed out of the gourd, and gathered into a sphere above the redhead. "Do not get in my way, Temari, Kankuro. Die! Suna Kou(Sand Rainfall)!" A volley of sand spheres detached from the source, intent of piercing the blonde.

"Doton: Heki(Wall) no Jutsu!" He slammed his hands on the ground, and overturned a slab of dirt. With Chakra, he strengthened the density of the slab, as it was pelted with sand. "Doton: Toge Chikei(Thorn Terrain) no Jutsu." Naruto pushed the wall of earth, and sent spikes towards Gaara. Unfortunately, none of the spikes connected, due to Gaara's sand defending him. Soon, His wall was gone, and he began to run to avoid the sand. "Damn that sand!" He did somersault, and pushed his hands on the ground, with a grunt of effort, and his fire, Naruto launched himself up. He righted himself, and clapped his hands. "Kaze no Yaiba(Blade of Wind)!" The wind gathered between his hands, creating a sword like shape. He summoned his fire, and used the wind to enhance it. It turned a light purple color. Gaara growled, and released a stream of sand. Naruto raised his sword, and slashed vertically. With the intensity of the heat, the sand turned to glass, and then shattered when the blade actually collided. He traveled down, until he reached the Ichibi Jinchuuriki. He canceled his jutsu, as to not kill the boy. With flame wrapped fist, Naruto aimed for the boy's face. It passed the sand shield, and impacted cheek. Gaara's eyes widened, as he flew several feet backwards. Kankuro and Temari gasped when they realized that Naruto had been able to hit Gaara. "Get out of here already, Gaara!" he yelled, as he retracted his fist. "There's no need for you to fight right now." Gaara's body twitched, before a maniacal laugh escaped his lips. The sand gathered his body, and picked him up. Naruto's eyes widened.

"You...you punched me," he said. "It hurts!" Gaara turned his head, and revealed a spot on his cheek that was glass The skin surrounding that was cracked "It hurts so much...I see..." The sand surrounding the area lifted in the air, and gathered back in the gourd. He turned around. "Let's go, Kankuro, Temari. We're leaving." The two hesitated at first, but soon followed the redhead. "Uzumaki Naruto! We will meet again." The blonde waited for the Suna-nin to disappear, before turning back towards the direction of the house. He let out a loud sigh.

"Troublesome," he droned. "...Great, now I'm sounding like Shikamaru."

"Naruto-kun!" A voice called behind him. Naruto's eyes widened, and watched as someone walked from behind a tree.

"Hinata-chan? What are you doing here? I told you to go to the shelter!" The Hyuha Heiress walked up to him with a smile.

"It's okay! I told Kiba and Shino to go on without me. Shino even gave me one of his bugs, so that it'll warn her if I'm in trouble. See?" She held up her finger, which had a small bug resting on it. "Go back to Shino-san, alright, Karuka-san(Apparently, Shino names all of his bugs)?" The insect buzzed, and flew off."I'm sorry that I didn't go, Naruto-kun, but I couldn't stand leaving you here." Naruto looked at her with a confused look. Seeing this, Hinata became flustered, and hid her face behind her sleeves. "A-Anyways, I'm glad you saved my team. You looked so cool, fighting that boy." Naruto grinned.

"Well thanks! Listen, we should go to the house, or we're sitting ducks. Follow me." Hinata nodded, and went with Naruto to Zabuza's house. Needless to say, the heiress was surprised to see Haku there. Hey where's Bushy Brow's team?"

"Oh, they left a while ago," the black haired girl replied, also surprised to see Hinata. "Uh...Naruto-san, who's this?"

"Haku-san, this is Hinata-chan. Hinata-chan, Haku-san. Haku-san, Hinata is from the Hyuga clan, and is even the heiress. Hinata-chan I met Haku-san back when I was at that Wave mission. She needed a place to stay, so she and Zabuza are staying here. Haku smiled, and held out her hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Hyuga-hime." Hinata became flustered, and shook her head. She grabbed Haku's hand, and shook it.

"Call me Hinata, Haku-san. You don't have to call me a princess." Naruto grinned at them, before turning towards the other Genin.

"Alright, here's what we'll do. We've all, except for Team 9, agreed to go to the safe house together, so that there will be less challenges to get there. Luckily for you, I know exactly where it is, and I know a faster way to get there. Let's go!" The Genin gathered outside the house.

"So where's the shortcut?" Kiba asked, seeing nothing but trees around them. Naruto made his fox grin again, and called for Momo. In a matter of seconds, the red eyed girl appeared at his side.

"You know what to do, Momo-chan." The girl summoned her scythe, to everyone's surprise.

"It'll be my pleasure," she replied, looking at the trees in her way.

"To the safe house! Hissatsu: Ogama Tatsumaki(Finishing Move: Scythe Tornado)!" Everyone looked at Naruto with blank eyes, as he yelled the fake technique. But nonetheless, Momo rushed passed the blonde, and began to hack at the trees with ease. Each tree trunk turned into a trail of wood chips, in the hands of the bijuu.

"Just how strong is this chick?" Shikamaru asked, with surprise in his voice.

Naruto put his hand on his shoulder, and said with deadly eyes, "Remember when I threw you at your mom for payback?" The Nara boy shivered at the memory. "Well imagine that...times 10...with blades." Now it was Shikamaru's turn to put his hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"I pity you, my good friend." Naruto nodded, and sighed. He walked away from everyone else, and followed his female companion.

(Later)

Momo sliced up another tree, turning it into wood chips. The Genin could now see the safe house, to their relief. "This is far as I can take you," the red haired informed said, sealing her scythe somewhere. "I'm not part of the exam, so I should probably go back to the house. See ya, guys. Good luck with the rest!"

"Thanks," Naruto said, as Momo began to walk back. "I owe you one." The girl laughed.

"Haha! Oh, you have no idea." Naruto froze at her tone, and had a premonition of danger. Everyone else waved at the girl, while silently pitying the blonde.

"A-anyways, let's get to the safe house." He motioned for everyone to go inside. Naruto opened the door, but was surprised when he found it empty. "Huh? No one's here. Are we the first ones?"

"Naruto," Sakura announced, pointing towards the far wall. "What's that over there?" He fixed his gaze at the wall, and saw a large piece of parchment glued to it.

"Without?" Sasuke read. "Heaven? What the hell is this thing talking about?"

"There seem to be some missing words," Shino noted. Everyone else also noticed this.

"Maybe it's about the scrolls," Choji suggested, chewing a piece of food that he had packed from Zabuza's house. "Should we try to open them?" Team 7 looked at each other.

"Let's give it a try," Sasuke said, bringing out the Heaven Scroll. Ino and Kiba did the same, while Sakura, Hinata, and Shikamaru took out the Earth Scroll. "Ready? Go." At the same time, the 6 opened the scrolls. Out of the 6 scrolls, only Team 7's scrolls started to create smoke. Their eyes widened.

"It's a summoning type Jutsu!" Naruto exclaimed. "Drop them!" Sakura and Sasuke did as he said, and put the scrolls on the floor. The smoke increased, and then everyone felt a new presence in the room. Naruto narrowed his eye."Hey, isn't that..." Once the smoke cleared, there stood a man in a Konoha flak jacket. His hair was up in a style similar to Shikamaru's.

"Iruka-sensei!" Sakura said, recognizing the smiling figure.

"Well hello there," the Chunin greeted with a wave. "Long time no see, guys. Looks like you guys had some trouble."

"Wait a minute," Ino interjected. "Why did the scrolls summon you here?"

"At the end of the second test, it's set up so that so we Chunin could meet up with the exam takers. And I was able to meet up with one of you...Or all of you, in this case." He reached in his pocket, and puled out a pocketwatch. He opened ige himself.t up, and look inside with a smile before closing it. "Just made it in time. The second test...All nine of you pass. You know Naruto, as congratulations, why don't we go get some ramen?" At the mention of them passing, the other eight fell down in relief and exhaustion. Naruto grinned.

"Alright!...Wait, what would've happened if we had opened the scrolls outside of the safe house?" Iruka looked down, and picked up a scroll.

"As you may have figured out, the test's ruled are set up to test your ability to preform missions correctly. So if you had opened it in the forest, you would be put in a state of unconsciousness for the remainder of the test.

"So what's with that paper on the wall?" Hinata asked.

"Who cares?" Kiba replied. "We already passed."

"Actually, I'm supposed to explain that. Read it. It's the motto of the Chunin written by the Hokage...The 'heaven' represents the human mind. And the 'earth' represents the human body. So basically, 'If you lack heaven, then seek knowledge. Be prepared.' That means that if your weakness is you brain, then you have to gain knowledge. 'If you lack earth, run in the fields, seek advantages.' If your weakness is stamina, then you have to train hard."

"And if you have both Heaven and Earth," Naruto said. "Then you can succeed, in even the most dangerous of missions? So basically all the missions become safe and easy."

"What about the part with the missing word?" Shikamaru asked.

"The words that represent a Chunin," Iruka explained. "The 'Person' word from the scrolls go there." He unrolled on of the scrolls, and pointed at the bottom of it. "The last sentence is, 'These rules will guide a person's extremes.' These 5 days of survival were to test the exam taker's basic abilities needed to become a Chunin. You guys successfully passed that. Chunins are at the rank of a military captain. You have the responsibility of leading a team. The knowledge, stamina, and inner knowledge are needed for your duties. I want you guys to attack the next test with the motto in your mind. That's...all I have to pass on to you." The Chunin looked at his former students, who looked at him with fire in their eyes. "The third test. Don't push yourselves too hard, alright?"

"Come on, Iruka-sensei," exclaimed Naruto. "From the moment we had received these Forehead Protectors, we were no longer academy students. There's no need to worry. This headband symbolizes that we are all grown up. Some traits might not have changed in us, but we are not kids anymore. We're Shinobi of Konoha!" Iruka was amazed at Naruto's words. He looked at everyone else, and they seemed to be thinking of the same think. Suddenly, he began to laugh.

"Hahaha. You're right. I'm sorry for worrying, guys. Go on, celebrate. You'll get the notice for the next test later. For now, just rest...I'm so glad, seeing all of you so grown up." One by one, the Genin said their farewells, and they were escorted out of the forest."

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><p>Chapter 17 end.<p>

According to the word counter, this chapter was 15,305 words. A real upgrade from my first chapters, which were only in the 1,000s

So, see ya next time. Flame/Review


	18. Truths Come Out

Yo, TGXNeoburst here. Sorry for the long wait, I hope you still read this. I had just started high school a few months ago, so I'm a bit busy most of the time. I lose more sleep than I need. Anyways, here's chapter...18, I think. A bit darker than the other chapters, but here you go. It also seems a bit rushed. I'll fix it when I have the time. Fun fact: My birthday is on the 16th, so yay!

Disclaimer: I have no rights to Naruto, though I will gladly take it off of Kishimoto-sensei's hands.

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><p>Mitarashi Anko was not in a good mood. She was FAR from having one, as she jumped from tree to tree inside the Forest of Death. Just a while ago, she had been informed that the person she hated above everything else had come to Konoha, and she was determined to find him. The Tokubetsu had a score to settle, and there was nothing that was going to stop her. "You're a level S criminal now," Anko growled, as if she knew her prey was hearing it. The presence of another person filled the area, and it was certainly not Naruto. "I'll stop you if it costs me my life. And even if I can't, I will cripple you and leave you to the ANBU." She stopped in front of a large trunk. Her face grew into a grin, as she felt something behind her. She didn't need to turn around to know who was behind her. She jumped, and extended her arm. Senbon dropped from her sleeve, and in between her fingers. She intended to throw them at the snake, but his long tongue extended faster than she could react. It wrapped around her hand, making her release her weapon. "I'm not going to let you leave with your life!" She yelled, as she used her other hand to tightly grab onto Orochimaru's tongue. "Sen'eijashu!" For extra measure, she summoned snakes to bite deeply into Orochimaru's tongue, but the man did not seemed even a little fazed. With a grunt of effort, Anko pulled with all her might, taking the man with her. She took one of his hands, and shoved it onto the trunk of a tree, before driving a kunai into both of their hands. Orochimaru glared at his assailant, before his eyes widened in surprise. Anko had taken his hand, and made a seal.<br>"Sorry, but I'm going to have to borrow this for a while.

"This seal..." Orochimaru hissed. "You...I can't believe it." Anko grinned darkly.

"That's right, you bastard! Once and for all, I will get rid of you, and you will never return to harm anyone ever again. Even if that means that I will die with you." She closed his eyes, as images made their way into her head. The memories she would miss, once her duty had been fulfilled. And surprisingly, the blonde idiot she had grown so fond of squirmed his way into her head. She had a sad smile, at the thought that she would miss him and their little escapades from work. But it was not long before her eyes steeled. It was time to finish it. "Sōjasōsai no-(Twin Snakes Mutual Death Technique)" She was interrupted by Orochimaru's evil chuckle.

"Oh? Planning to commit suicide, are we? Sorry, but this is merely..."

"...a Kage Bunshin," the same voice finished. Anko's eyes widened, as she watched the Orochimaru she had captured turn to smoke. She turned her head to the real Orochimaru a few trees away. "Anko, Anko, Anko. A Tokubetsu Jounin like you, shouldn't be using Kinjutsu that I taught you." Orochimaru brought his hand to his face and, to Anko's disgust, began to peel his skin off. It revealed his true face. A face so pale, he would be lost in the snow. His eyes were a dull yellow, with a slit down the middle, exactly like a snake's. Around his eyes, was a purple outline that extended down to the top of his nose. "We haven't seen each other in so long, and yet you're so cold."

"What's your plan?" Anko demanded. "Is it Hokage-sama?" Orochimaru chuckled again.

"Him? No, at least not yet. I just felt like doing some recruiting some outstanding people. I just gave someone a cursed seal. A specimen so beautiful and so powerful, I just couldn't control myself. He's a kid who carries the blood of the Uchihas. A perfect candidate to be my vessel." Anko narrowed her eyes, and glared at the man, but she couldn't do anything from where she was. "Oh do, keep this little exam going. I want to know if that boy survived. Things will become so interesting." With that, Orochimaru disappeared. Anko grit her teech, and hissed out curses for a while, before she passed out from blood loss. A thud sounded in front of her, as she was on the last strings of consciousness. It was a figure clad in all black, looking around for someone, or something.

"Shit, I missed him," the figure said, stomping his foot. "I got here too late." He looked at Anko, and grabbed her, before disappearing somewhere else.

(Konoha Hospital)

Anko's eyes slowly fluttered open. It was like she had gone through hibernation like a bear. It took her a while to fully regain consciousness, but once her memories came flooding back, she instantly sat up, ignoring the pain in her right hand. Looking around, the woman found herself in a hospital bed in Konoha. The memories of the fight, if you could call it that, resurfaced, making her angry with herself, and the snake bastard. Anko was too lost in her anger and self pity that she didn't notice the person next to her.

"Ahem," someone said to get the woman's attention. Anko turned her head to see Naruto sitting on a chair next to her bed. He was holding a stick of dango in his hands, twirling the stick between his fingers. "Good to see that you're awake. I was worried there. How's your hand?" The purple haired Jounin looked at her bandaged hand, and shook her head. "You should get your energy back. Here." He handed her the dango, which she gladly took. She was a bit hungry after all that jumping.

"Thanks," she replied, taking a bite of the food. "More importantly, how did I get here?" Naruto smiled, and pointed to himself.

"I brought you here. Unfortunately, I was too late to save you from that snake, and I found you passed out, bleeding to death. But I was lucky to have found you when I did, or I wouldn't be talking to you right now." She was surprised that Naruto had known about Orochimaru. He explained that he had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting the man. "I wish I could've gotten there much sooner to help out if I could."

"Naruto-kun," she said seriously. "I need you to get Hokage-sama for me. Tell him it's very important to the village's safety. He needs to hear about this in private." Naruto nodded, and stood up to leave from the hospital's window. He looked at her one last time.

"Make sure you recover quickly. We'll go to Ichiraku and I'll buy you all the dango you want." He finished with his famous fox grin. Anko couldn't help but grin herself, the blonde just gave off that kind of aura.

"As long as your paying, kid." She watched as Naruto jumped out to the Hokage tower. It was at that time that she suddenly felt a sense of loneliness. Like she was the only person left in the world. There was an overwhelming feeling of emptiness in her heart. She didn't know why the absence of the blonde made her feel that way, but her thoughts went back to when she had almost killed Orochimaru and herself. Her last thought was none other than Naruto herself. The blonde idiot that she loved being around with her. And as she sat there, waiting for the Hokage, her face retained that grin reminiscent to Naruto's as her face gradually heated up. Her heart was beating faster than usual, and it reflected on the machine she was connected to.

(Naruto's house)

After letting Sarutobi know of Anko's situation, he had gone back to his house, where Tayuya was practicing her flute on his bed. Momo decided to sleep in Haku's room for a change. Upon the blonde's arrival, she immediately stopped and glared at him. "No no," Naruto teased, seeing the redhead embarrassed. "I insist, keep playing." Tayuya scoffed, and removed a part of her flute, and pointed the end of it towards the blonde. She brought the other end to her lips, and blew into it. Naruto lifted his hand, and expertly caught the oncoming needle between his fingers. Seeing this, the redhead scoffed, and put her flute back together. "Nice try. But not good enough." He sat next to her, a bit too close to her liking. She scooted away, taking his blanket with her. "Now, Tayuya-san. You need to par your part of the bargain. The second exam has ended, so tell me what you know about Orochimaru. He just attacked one of my friends, and I am not letting him get away with it." Tayuya looked at him blankly.  
>The way he was looking at her, as if she had just killed someone he knew, unnerved her...and also turned her on a bit. <em>Oh god,<em> she thought. _When did I get attracted to _that_ sort of thing?_ Tayuya shook her head, and recalled her times at Oto.

"Well, where do I start? Alright. I met Orochimaru when he came to us nuke-nin. He talked about this village that he made, called Otogakure. We knew him as one of the Sannin. You know, that group consisting of Jiraiya, Tsunade, and of course, himself. That lying motherfucker said that everyone would be treated equally, and that out status as Nuke-nin would disappear. No one was treated equal, it was thievery, everywhere. People were beaten left and right. Anyways, After a while, he held a competition for the position of being his elite shinobi. A lot of people died that day. I managed to win the fourth position, and as a reward, he gave us our cursed marks. He told us of his plans for your little village. He wants to raze it to the ground, and dance on the ashes, the psychotic bastard. But mostly, he wants the Uchiha. I always knew he was a pedophile, I mean he said that he wanted his body. And during the third exam, Oto and Suna are going to band together to invade Konoha. You should probably tell your Hokage, unless you want to see this place destroyed." Naruto clenched his fists, and stood up. He walked to the other side of the room and slammed his fist right through it as if it was paper. There was nothing on his face except for rage.

"Damn that motherfucker," he growled, sounding like the Tayuya. "He thinks he can do that while I'm here? There's no way in hell I'm going to let him do that. If he as so much touches anyone else, he won't live to see the next day. I'll personally make sure he skips the Shinigami's trial, and is immediately sent to the lowest and darkest part of Hell." The redhead watched as Naruto continued his rage. The way his eyes looked, and his body moved weren't half bad. She took notice of his muscles, and was fairly impressed. He certainly wasn't bad to look at. Tayuya, surprised she was thinking these thoughts, tried to think of other things, but, Naruto was too loud for that. "I'm going." Soon after, Naruto left to go to the Hokage. No doubt to tell him what she had told him. Making sure no one was watching, she continued to practice her flute playing.

(Hokage Tower)

"Hokage-jiji!" Naruto yelled, ignoring the ANBU that was on his tail. The old man was looking out the window, a melancholy look on his face. He had just heard the story from Anko about his student, and he had expected as much from him. And hearing that Sasuke was bitten by him, he feared the worst. He knew of Anko's cursed seal, and it nearly drove her crazy once. If the last Uchiha was given the same seal, then he could very well be the downfall of Konoha. The boy was full of revenge for his brother. He had hoped that Naruto was able to suppress his anger, but the seal could renew his drive. The blonde crashed into his office, a face full of anger. "I have to tell you something about Orochimaru!"

"I have already heard about his presence in the forest, Naruto-kun," the Hokage said, calling the ANBU off.

"Not that. There's something else." Sarutobi raised his eyebrow in confusion and horror. "Listen ton me, Hokage-jiji. During the 3rd exam, Orochimaru will launch a war against Konoha. I know they won't stand against us alone, but they have gained the support of Suna. The village will have to prepare for this battle, but they can't stop the exam. If we do that, it'll just cause complications for all the villages. And when it comes down to it, I'll participate in the war. I'm not going to let this village be razed to the ground. I promise you that." Sarutobi was surprised at Naruto's resolve to protect Konoha. It's not that he didn't like it, but with what the people have done to him, it didn't seem likely that he would want to protect them. The thought made the old man smile. His eyes flashed quickly to the portrait of the Yondaime.

"I see, Naruto-kun. I will alert all able Shinobi as soon as possible. And I thank you for your support." The blonde nodded.

"Actually, there's something else. You see, there has been a little intrusion at my house. It seems that one of Orochimaru's shinobi have infiltrated the village." Sarutobi blanked, as a look of surprise was on his face.

"What? Where? Who is it?"

"Don't worry, Hokage-jiji, she's alright. Actually, and you might find this to be interesting, she doesn't want to go back to Oto. She's pretty much defected, and is willing to do anything to get away from there. Even if it means telling about Orochimaru's plans. I already got the info from her, and have told you. But now, well...Can you let her stay?" The old man looked at Naruto like he was crazy.

"How can you ask that? We have to take her into custody right away! Any information that about Orochimaru will help us greatly, and we need as much as we can get." Naruto put his hands up.

"Look, Hokge-jiji. I told you, that she's willing to tell you anything. Tayuya genuinely HATES Orochimaru's guts. I mean she might be from his village, but she's a pretty...interesting person once you get to know her. I can't let her be subjected to Ibiki-san's torture, it'll leave me with a bad conscious. Can't we just recruit her to Konoha like Zabuza-san and Haku-chan? I'll promised her that I would let her stay in exchange for information. It's a win-win situation." Sarutobi sighed a tired sigh, as he rubbed his temple.

"Urgh...You better be right about this, Naruto-kun," he scolded strictly, wagging a finger at him. "If this Tayuya person does something against the law of Konoha, she WILL be taken to Ibiki and kept in a cell, you got that?" The blonde nodded gravely. The old man sighed one more time. "Fine, bring her in tomorrow, and we'll get the papers signed. I'm trusting you here, Naruto-kun. Don't do anything stupid to take that trust away." Naruto bowed, and left to tell the girl the news.

(Somewhere)

"Kukuku," Orochimari laughed, as he held his hands up to a seal. "My, my, Naruto-kun. It seems you were have fallen for my trap. I do wish you could have just stood back, but now that you have shown your strength, you might be an obstacle to my plans." He activated his Jutsu.

(Later)

Unbeknownst to Naruto, Orochimaru had known that the blonde was coming. Before he had left, he had thrown a small bug that was undetected by even Momo. It was a medium to the Jutsu that he had created a while back especially for the blonde. This Jutsu was supposed to have messed with the seal on Naruto's stomach, but little did he know that it would have done something much different. The snake had thought that he knew everything about the seal. But he did not know about it's state after Naruto's encounter with Momo. Orochimaru did not know everything about it.

That night, Naruto had a nightmare. He was a child again, still staying in the orphanage. When he opened his eyes, he saw the silhouettes of people hovering around his bed. Seeing this, he immediately stood up to fight. At least he would have, but his arms and legs were tied to the corners of the bed. He struggled to break free, finding it to no avail. His child body was too weak to do anything. He tried to call for help, but no sound came out of his mouth. It was like someone had ripped out his vocal chords. One of the figures raised a kunai, and let out with a guttural voice that seemed barely human. "Looks like the demon's awake. That's good. Now we can begin. I hope you feel every bit of this. I want you to savor that pain, cause it's the last thing you'll ever feel." And with that, the kunai plunged into his stomach. It seemed that the pain he felt was twice as much as usual. The nightmare wanted Naruto to relive his greatest fear twice as much. The man twisted the kunai inside of his stomach. The blonde wanted to scream for them to stop, but there was nothing he could do. No sound came out, and even if it did, no one would come for him. He knew deep in his heart that that was the truth. He knew it so many years ago. The others joined in on the man's assault, stabbing the blonde everywhere, from his shoulder's, to his feet. But they mostly stabbed around the same area. Some used the ring of their weapon to bash his skull, and no matter what he did, all he could do was lay back and feel everything without the relief of passing out. He wanted with all his might to pass out, but no matter what he did, he remained awake, forced to feel every cell in his body scream in agony. One man had brought salt, and began to pour it all over his wounds. He could hear the laughter of the men, as they purposely chose places that wouldn't immediately kill him. They wanted him to suffer for as long as he could.

"No," the voice of his younger self echoed in his head. "Please stop. What have I done to you? What deed have I done to make you want to do this? Please, tell me! What have I done?" But no one would answer him. "I don't want to die! I want to live! Please, don't kill me." Naruto wanted so bad, to kill the people who were killing him. He wanted to repay everything 100 fold. And then, another voice leaked into his head. It was a more sinister version of himself. Naruto turned his head to the side and saw himself, the older version, sitting on a chair, watching him suffer.

"You know you want to do it," he said menacingly, an evil version of his grin on his face. "You want to kill them all, don't you? That thought has crossed your mind for so long. Your body aches to bathe in their blood. Why should you waste your time on some village that will never see you as anything more that a demon? You know deep inside you, that no one will ever acknowledge you." Naruto tried to argue, but he couldn't say anything. He was too busy being overcome by the crowd of people trying to stab him...but they were gone. When Naruto looked, the people had disappeared. In, fact almost everything had disappeared into a sea of darkness. The black water began to creep onto the bed like a shadow, and began to envelop his body. "Let the darkness consume you, Naruto. You have no need for such mortal feelings. Let yourself go. Let ME go! You've been repressing me all this time, but I am never gone!" The darkness was up to his sternum. The other Naruto stood up. "I am you! The part of you that you locked away! The part of you that is just waiting for you to be at your most vulnerable, so that I can take over. I want to kill everyone, Naruto. I want to give them Hell." The darkness had gone up to his neck, and before he knew it, his whole body was covered in nothing but black. He couldn't see anything else. "You're weak!" The other Naruto yelled, but this was different. Naruto could not move his own body nor his mouth. He watched as his body moved without his consent. "I want to take over this mortal body, and make sure that everyone pays. Won't you let me?" The darkness receded, revealing the village. Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but bodies, and blood. The ground was absolutely covered in it, as if a tsunami had hit. But the worst part was, he could recognize the bodies. All around him, Hinata, Haku, Tayuya, Sasuke, Chouji, Kiba, Tenten, Sarutobi, Iruka, Sakura. Everyone he knew laid on the ground dead, their lifeless eyes looking at him with such terror. Naruto looked down at the blood, and found that he was no longer himself, but a demon. His skin had been torn away, leaving a black and red figure, glowing like the remnants of an old flame. Naruto knew what it was he was looking at. Because after all, his most greatest fear aside from death, was himself. He didn't even look human anymore. Fire seemed to emanate from him, leaving a disgusting smell in the air. He wanted to gag. "This is your future. If you do not become strong, this is what will happen, Naruto. What will you do now? Knowing that anything you will do, this is what it will lead up to." Suddenly, Naruto heard someone sob. He felt someone grab on to his body, embracing his abdomen. Turning around, Momo was embracing him, crying her eyes out. She was covered in blood, and looked badly injured. Her nine tails were on the ground, completely soaked and lifeless.

"Please stop this, Naruto-kun!" she yelled, determined to stop the blonde. "I want you back. Come back! Wake up!" She continued to try to get Naruto to revert back to his normal self. And as she continued to try and get Naruto back, the blonde felt an overwhelming sense of anger. He was angry at himself, or rather the person who he was not. His fists trembled as he began to regain control of his body. The other Naruto was struggling to keep control. The blonde bared his teeth which were now fangs, as he raised his arms. Momo didn't seem the battle for dominance.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do!" Naruto growled. "Don't you dare say tell me what I want, when you don't. You don't know me at all!" He grabbed hold of his head, and began to pull on his hair, as if he wanted to rip his head in two. The black skin he had gained was torn like a full body suit, revealing his normal look, his eyes red with a slitted pupil. His touch began to burn away the darkness. He continued on to the rest of his body. "You do not own me! I kept you away because you are evil, which I am not! I will never let you conquer me!" The other Naruto was glaring at him from the reflection. "You should've stayed where I kept you. You should have never showed your face again. So you may as well give up, because as long as I have breath, you will never hurt anyone! EVER!" With that final yell, the darkness that had enveloped the blonde had burned away, and the blood that had covered the ground disappeared along with everyone else. A flash of light enveloped the area, making Naruto close his eyes. When the light had died down, he was back in the old orphanage, looking at the other Naruto. Naruto was outside of the place he hated so much, giving himself his grin which signaled his victory. Now, HE was the one who had reverted to his child self. Chains began to wrap around him, making him kneel on the floor. Both of them glared at each other. "Stay where you belong. In my memories." He took hold of the door. The other Naruto grinned evilly.

"I...will never be a memory," he replied, as Naruto closed the door. Once he did, the orphanage disappeared. The scenery faded to black, as he could feel himself wake up.

Naruto sat up panting heavily, cold sweat streaming from his forehead. He recalled his dream, but found that he couldn't remember anything. As much as he tried, no part of it came back. He noticed that there was pain coming from his hands, and after looking at it, he saw that in his sleep, he had been digging his nails into his skin. Blood had been leaking out, staining the bed. But by now, the wounds were already healing. He looked around his hut and noticed a heap on the opposite side of his bed. After pulling on the blanket, he saw the fiery red mop that was just less duller that Momo's. Tayuya had refused to leave his bed, so they ultimately decided to share the bed. Of course, Naruto being Naruto, they decided to sleep on opposite sides. Tayuya was sleeping sitting down, her back against the wall. She had stuffed cloth into her hat, and used it as a pillow. She had a slight scowl that Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at. She seemed to look much better when not cursing all the time. He let her sleep, as he put his black shirt over his mesh. And above that was a black sleeveless long coat. The blonde's hitai-ate was wrapped around his neck, similar to how Hinata wore it. With a big jump, Naruto exited his house, and landed outside. There was still no notice about the 3rd exam, so the contestants, or at least what was left of them, were able to enjoy a break. And Momo was probably still sleeping in Haku's room, letting him enjoy a moment in peace. Walking around for his daily stroll, he instantly noticed Haku kneeling on the ground and doing her own daily activity of picking herbs. He waved at the girl, who returned the action. Although for some reason, she wouldn't look him in the eye. He frowned, wondering what was wrong. Naruto decided to walk to Haku, and as he did, he noticed that she was getting more fidgety. Her forehead seemed to become sweatier, the closer he got to her. "Hey Haku," Naruto said, crouching down to meet her eyes. But she never looked at him. She seemed like she was contemplating on what to do.

"Y-yes?" Haku replied, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. She was looking down, frantically picking herbs. "Can I help you Naruto-san?" Part of her white dress was covered in dirt. Naruto fully sat down, and crossed his arms. He looked at Haku with a worried look. But she did not look back at him, her body refusing to do so.

"Hey, is there something wrong?" Haku hesitated, an action not unnoticed by the blonde. "If there's anything wrong, you can always tell me. I'm always here to help." The girl stroked a part of her hair, her face gaining a soft blush.

"It's nothing, really. There's nothing to worry about." Naruto pursed his lips, and sighed. He scooted a little closer, to the girl's dismay.

"I don't believe that...You know, you've been acting weird for a while. You won't talk with me as much, and you won't look me in the eye. I don't think you did that yesterday, either. Obviously, something is wrong." The girl kept quiet. Naruto persisted. "Please, tell me if there's something's wrong. I can help you."...Naruto looked down, a sullen look on his face. His tone became much calmer. "Do you...regret coming here? To Konoha? Did I do something wrong when I brought you guys here?" At this, Haku's eyes widened, and she quickly turned her head to look at the blonde. He was very solemn at the moment, thinking that his friend was not happy to be there. She opened her mouth to say something, but her voice betrayed her. She felt bad, as she thought of something to say that would tell how she felt. Soon, she regained her voice, and she put a hand on the blonde's shoulder. Naruto looked up to see Haku's gentle smile.

"Of course not," she answered happily. "I don't regret coming here one bit. In fact, this is the happiest I have been, since Zabuza-s-...I mean Otō-sama(father) had taken me in. I am truly grateful of you, Naruto-san. Please, don't be sad." It amused her how Naruto was looking at her with this surprised look. He looked frozen. But it was then that she noticed that she had put her hand from his shoulders, to his face, slowly stroking his cheeks. She was tracing her fingers her fingers along his whisker-like marks in a rather affectionate manner. His skin felt warm. Seeing this, she instantly took her hand away, and went back to what she was doing. "S-sorry." Naruto's breathing was a bit huskier than usual, as he raised his hand to his whisker marks. She found it cute how he began to rub them as if there was something on his face.

"Please tell me if you are about to do that," he mumbled quietly. "I almost lost control there." Haku looked confused. "Oh, I didn't tell you? These things-" He pointed to his whiskers "-are very sensitive. It gives off a feeling like...I guess it's the equivalent of a cat being caressed, or a dog having the back of his ear scratched. I can...hardly control myself when someone touches them." He scratched his head in embarrassment, before clearing his throat. "So please, you'll have to warn me if you're going to do that again. N-not that I want you to do it. It's not liked I like it or anything." He began to get nervous, after almost revealing his weakness, and Haku giggled at the sight. She mentally saved that information for future events. "By the ways, I hope no one hurt you during the second test." Haku smiled at Naruto's kindness, and shook her head.

"No one even got close to me. Otō-sama took care of most of the people, and I simply helped. But I'm more worried about you. When I saw you, you looked badly hurt. There were bruises and cuts everywhere. I was so worried." The blonde looked at Haku surprisingly.

"You were...worried?" The girl hesitated, and focused on the ground.

"U-uh...A-anyone would be worried. I bet Hinata-san and Momo-san were worried about you."

"I'm surprised. Not many people care that I exist." On the inside, Naruto was absolutely happy. He was happy that someone was worried for him. He knew Momo worried for him, but it was nice that another person did as well. He couldn't control a grin coming into his face. But then, Haku's head snapped up to his face.

"What?" She asked. Right then, Naruto realized his mistake, and inwardly cursed. He had mentioned something that he shouldn't have. Nothing he could say now would be able to get Haku's mind off of what he had said, but he had to try. It wouldn't be good if he had to recall everything.

"Nothing. Just thinking out loud." But Haku didn't buy it. She moved closer to him.

"No, you just said that not many people cared that you existed. W-what is that supposed to mean?" She was looking at him with curious and worried eyes. From that one sentence, she wanted to know what was going on in the blond's head. She wanted the answers to questions that should have been asked a long time ago. "Naruto-san? Why do you live in the forest? I've been meaning to ask for a while now." Naruto sighed. He knew that someday, she would ask that question. He began to shake his head. He covered his mouth.

"I...I can't tell you," he replied. He looked at her face, before quickly looking down. "D-don't look at me like that." She put her hand on his arm, squeezing lightly. He knew that she would want further information. He had no choice, but to tell her everything. The tables had been turned, and now it was Haku asking the questions.

"Please tell me, Naruto-san. I can't do anything about your pain, if I don't know what it is." Naruto suddenly stood up. His arm escaped her hands. "Naruto-san?" She stood up as well, an noticed that the blonde was clenching his fists.

"But that's just the thing!" Naruto snapped. Bits and flashes of his dream began to enter his head. The blood, the sight of himself looking so monstrous, the bodies. "There's nothing anyone can do to help! It's...It's all so complicated! I can't decide what's better. I didn't want this! Why was it me? What's so special about me?" Haku didn't know what he was talking about. His head turned to look at her, a red color leaking into his blue eyes. He uncovered his other eye, and pointed to it. "This! You asked me why I stay in here, and not in any normal house. Well now I'll have to tell you!" He recalled the conversation with himself. The one he had tried so hard to hide. His face as he threatened to kill everyone he cared for. Haku bit her lip.

"Naruto-san. If it's that personal, you don't have to say it. I can understand if it's something you want to keep to yourself." Naruto shook his head.

"No no no. I'll have to tell you someday, but I just don't know what will happen! Will you still be here? Will you hate me? Will you fear me?" He continued to spew out these questions crazily. Haku was completely worried for Naruto, as he started to pace. Then, he stopped in front of her, and put his hands on her shoulder. He was a bit taller than her, so he leaned down a little. A serious look was on his face. His voice wavered a little. "Please promise me that if I tell you this, your importance to me will not lessen. I do not want to eventually hate you, because you start ignoring me. I...Oh god, I've been alone for so long! I can't be alone anymore. I DON'T want to be alone." Haku was conflicted. She was happy that Naruto cared for her so much, but she was a bit scared at his tone. She could only nod. Even if he had said that he was a serial killer, or the cause of a genocide, she would accept it. It was a ninja world, after all. Naruto sighed, and let go of her. He turned his back to her, and took a deep breath. He sat down, and Haku sat next to him, holding on to his trembling arm. "Okay. Then let me start at the beginning. It started 12 years ago, and there was an attack on Konoha. A large monster appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and laid waste to shinobi and civilians alike. No one could escape the beast's wrath, and no one could stop it. It was a disastrous day for Konoha, even more devastating than the Uchiha Massacre. That's another story, by the way. Anyways, this demon that appeared, was none other that the feared Kyuubi. It was a being thought to be only a legend from the days of the Rikudo Sennin(Sage of Six Paths), but it was as real as anything. The village was left to be destroyed, until one person came. He was the Hokage at that time. The Yondaime Hokage. He appeared at the village's most desperate hour, on top of a large toad. I guess he had a summoning contract with them. He bravely fought the mighty Bijuu. But the Kyuubi, the one capable of making tsunamis with a swing of it's tail, and able to level mountains, was not going to be beaten. It spouted great fire of unimaginable strength at the Hokage, but he had a counter for that. You see, many people believed that the Hokage was alone in that fight, other than the toad, but that's not true. There was another person with him that night." Haku's eyes widened, knowing where the story was going. He turned his head towards her suddenly with his flaming eye visible. The sudden closeness made the girl go red, as their faces were only a few centimeters apart. "With him that day, was a baby. Born just that day, his chakra system not yet developed. It was almost too perfect. The Hokage's first seal made sure that the fire of the Kyuubi was destroyed. So, he sealed all of that flame in the eye of the newborn." Haku's eyes were watering, as she covered her mouth. "The next seal was the one that won the day. Because you see, the Hokage summoned the most feared creature known since the dawn of time. Death. He had summoned the Shinigami into the battlefield. A feat that was thought to be impossible. It was a two way deal. The Kyuubi was sealed into the body of the infant, and the soul of the Hokage was taken by the Shinigami. I guess you can already tell who that baby was. Something demonic had been born when the hero had died. I was treated like a demon in fear. No one wanted to get too close to me. And if anyone ever did, they were taken away, or they were people who wanted to kill me. No one should have to suffer the way I did. I've been through things I should have died from. But no matter what, I would be up the next day, ready for the next attack."

"But Naruto-kun," Haku didn't notice that she had called him that. "You are not the demon. You only carry it inside of you." Naruto had a solemn smile. He scoffed.

"That's what you think. Like I said, I've been alone for so long. On my fourth birthday, I was kicked out of the orphanage, and I ran away to the woods. That house has been where I have stayed for so many years. One day, I met my prisoner. The Kyuubi had spoken to me. It was not at all how I thought it would be. The Bijuu told me that it would make me the most strongest shinobi there ever was. How could I refuse? Back then, the need to live overpowered everything else. A contract was made between two. Kyuubi was able to teach me from the outside, gaining a physical form. At a cost, of course. I guess you could say that my humanity had been taken away. Cause from that point on, I was a half-demon. Watch closely, Haku, because you are the first person I will have shown this to." Naruto stood up, as did Haku. He stood a couple feet away from the girl. At first, all he did was stand, but then he ripped off his cloth. She was surprised when the blonde was engulfed in a burst of crimson flame. When it died down, Naruto stood there, his face more ferocious than usual. His whisker marks were now two black pillars that covered each side of his face. Opening his mouth, it revealed fangs rather than normal teeth. Naruto raised his hands showed his claws sharpened to be able to pierce a chest easily. Two fox ears protruded from his hair. Actually, his hair was the most amazing. Because from his flaming eye, the fire traveled up to his hair, causing it to turn a mixture of blood red and yellow. Haku marveled at the sight, and couldn't find the words to say that would describe how she felt. Naruto chuckled darkly. "Funny. The people have called me a demon so much, that I became one. But that's just the start of my worries...There's the real complication for me. I can't decide if the Kyuubi being sealed to me was all that bad. I've suffered, but I've also enjoyed things normal people wouldn't have done. Without this power, who would I never meet? Like you. If I didn't have such power, I probably wouldn't have ever gone to that mission in Nami no Kuni. I would have never met you, and in doing so, you and Zabuza-san would have probably died on that bridge along with everyone in the village. Gatou would still be in power as well. I didn't want to have a Bijuu sealed inside me. It's given me grief, but also given me rare opportunities. It's just so complicated, that it's making me go crazy...I just can't tell what I would like more. And that's pretty much it." He turned away, the fire engulfing him once more to reveal his normal appearance. "Look, I'll understand if you don't want to see me anymore. Just know that it was an honor to meet and fight you." He walked away, expecting Haku to walk away as well, never to see him again. He was NOT expecting for the girl to run up to him, and wrap her arms around his body. He felt her head on his shoulder, and the tears streaming from her eyes. He turned his head to the girl with genuine shock. "H-Haku-san?" Her arms tightened, bringing her closer to him. Both of their faces were a shade of red. "What is it?" The sound of her crying made him sad and guilty. He didn't mind that his coat was becoming wet. "Come on, now. I don't deserve your tears. Please, stop crying."

"Shut up," Haku sobbed. "You've kept a very dark secret from your friends. Things like this should be told. We would want to help you in any way we can...Have you told anyone else? Like Momo-san?" Naruto chuckled.

"Of course she knows. She's the Kyuubi after all." Haku's eyes widened. "It's okay. She feels guilty for everything as well. That was the reason she decided to help me. She knew what happened from the beginning. It's okay, Haku-san." Haku let go of the blonde, and he turned to her. She clasped her hands behind her back, and looked up at Naruto with her soft smile. Naruto felt happy as his chest became warm. He couldn't fight the smile and joyful laugh that surfaced. "You know, it feels nice, getting all of that off of my chest." Naruto took a deep breath, and exhaled. "It's like I'm truly meeting you for the first time." The girl's smile widened, as a laugh escaped her lips. She held out her hand.

"Well in that case, it's nice to meet you. I'm Momochi Haku. You can call me Haku-chan." Naruto gave her a real smile, and shook her hand.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

(Hokage Tower)

The third exam was postponed for a while, due to the events with Anko and Sasuke. They would begin later in the week. Meanwhile, Naruto found himself at the Hokage's office. The old man was reading his book shamelessly in front of the blonde, as his Kage Bunshin did the paper work. Naruto walked up to the old man, and slammed his hands on his desk." Sarutobi bookmarked his page reluctantly, before looking at his visitor. "Yes?" he asked, putting his attention on Naruto. The boy had a strange look on his face, like he had just made a decision to an awkward question. "Is there something wrong, Naruto-kun?" Naruto took a deep breath.

"Hokage-jiji," he started, a serious look on his face. "I...I want to tell my friends about my secret." Sarutobi almost dropped his pipe at the blonde's words. "I'm sorry, but I can't stand lying about it any longer. It's tearing me apart that they smile and laugh with me, but not know the real me. So can you let me tell them?" The old man didn't know what to say, as he looked at Naruto's pleading face.

"W-well, if that's what you want. It's entirely all on your choice, but you have to be very careful on who you decide to tell this to. It is, after all, one of the most important information of Konoha. You can't tell anyone if you have even a shred of doubt about telling them." Naruto nodded, and left to go find his friends. When he had come back, Haku, Momo, Team 7, 8, and 10, along with Tenten, Ayame, Teuchi, and Zabuza were with him. Kakashi was there as well, along with Tayuya. Naruto said that it was time to let her go out of the forest.

"This had better be good," Zabuza said. "I was training for goodness sake." The Genin made sure to stay away from the former Nuke-nin. Naruto faced all of them with a confident smile. He looked at Momo and Haku, and they nodded encouragingly.

"Everyone," Naruto greeted, starting his story. There's something I want to tell you all. I'm sorry for keeping all of this from you, but I want to change that now..." He told them everything from the beginning, and watched as their expressions changed. He was pouring out all his emotions into his story, hoping that they would understand his situation. There was still the anxiety in his heart that feared the worst from his own friends. But as he watched them, that all washed away. Hinata was nearly crying, and she could barely keep herself from tackling the blonde. Sakura and Sasuke were very surprised, but now they understood what had happened during the mission on the bridge, along with the time during the exam. Ayame and Teuchi were damn ready to offer Naruto free ramen, as their tears streamed down their face. Kakashi already knew about Naruto, but it didn't stop him from being sad for Naruto, and guilty for not being there to protect him. Zabuza also had a feeling, since he had dealt with people like Yagura, who was the Sanbi Jinchuuriki, and felt bad for the boy who had to endure the hardships of being a jinchuuriki from birth. Tenten now understood why Naruto was always wary in her family store, and she felt angry for the people who had used their weapons for something so evil. Heck, even Tayuya was surprised. When Naruto had said that her pain was miniscule, he really meant it. She had guessed that he was thought badly by the people, since he lived in a forest, but this was taking it to a whole new level. Isolation is one thing, but public homicide was another. Or at least attempted homicide, but it's still evil. She could hardly imagine 1 minute of the boy's suffering. Having to go through with that pain, and to have people actually CHEER for the ones hurting him. That was worse than the daily crimes in Otogakure all in one boy. She felt like crying, which was something she didn't do every day. And when Naruto had revealed that Momo was the Kyuubi, everyone had a mini heart attack. Sarutobi nearly died from it. But Naruto assured that she was completely different from what people said. He nearly begged for the others not attack her, making the bijuu blush. And as Naruto concluded his story, he began to apologize again for keeping something like that from them, and that they shouldn't be worried for him. Of course, everyone told the blonde that they would always there for him. By hearing his story, they felt closer to the blonde. They were honored to have made an impact on his life. But it was not the end of the secrets. After everyone had accepted the Naruto they now knew, it was time to lay down another surprise.

"Ahem." Sarutobi interjected, once everyone was quiet. He looked at the blonde, who in turn stared at him in confusion. "Naruto-kun, while we are telling truths, there's something I need to tell you. Something that should have been done a long time ago." Naruto and the others listened to the Hokage with attentive ears. "I was supposed to tell you when you were older, but it seems that you are already more than capable of handling it yourself. And with the oncoming events, I fear that I may never be able to tell you. You see, there's something important about you, Naruto-kun, aside from your status as a Jinchuuriki. It's about your lineage, and your parents." Time seemed to stop around of Naruto, as Sarutobi's words echoed in his head. He wondered if had head right. This was not something he was expecting. The old man saw Naruto's and the others' expressions, and closed his eyes. "Now there's a reason that I couldn't tell you, because over the span of their life, your parents have made the most terrible of enemies, all over the elemental countries. They were all ruthless in nature, and would do anything to get revenge on your mother and father. If word that their only child was alive got out, there would be a multitude of attacks on you." Sarutobi stood up. "Although...I do wonder, how they don't notice the resemblance. It's pretty obvious." Kakashi smiled underneath his mask, since he already knew. Another thing he was guilty about, unable to say anything due to the law.

"Um..." Hinata asked. "What resemblance are you talking about, Hokage-sama?" The old man removed his pipe, and smiled. walking slowly, Sarutobi stood behind Naruto, and began to casually push him towards a certain picture. The blonde was confused as to why the man was pushing him, but he didn't seem to care at the moment.

"Oh, I don't know. I mean other than the Yamanaka, there has only been one other blonde to be in Konoha." When the Hokage stopped pushing Naruto, the blonde looked up to see a portrait. His eyes widened even further as he looked up, inch by inch until he could see HIS face. The man on the portrait was the last person he had expected to see. Because on that portrait, was none other than the Yondaime Hokage. Minato Namikaze seemingly looked at everyone from the portrait, with a grin on his face that he only realized now, looked just like his. "You see it now?" Sarutobi's smile widened, at Naruto's shocked face. He was expecting that kind of reaction. He had waited so long to be able to tell him about his parents. And now that he finally did it, it felt like the weight of the sky had cleared from his shoulders.

"No way," Naruto mumbled, his father...It couldn't be. He could feel his legs give away, as he dropped to his knees. His eyes never left the picture, as his emotions conflicted with each other. He had found his father, but it was the one who had made his life hell. It was the man he had idolized, but also the man who turned his life upside down. He didn't know how to feel, and simply looked at the portrait like it was the holy grail tainted by evil. "If he's my father, then my mother is..." He recalled what Hiashi had said that day he dined with the Hyuugas. Along with the Yondaime, he had also learned that he had a wife. A spunky red-head that had clung to him in the photo Hiashi had shown him. Her name was on the tip of his tongue. It was...

"Kushina Uzumaki. Born in the now non-existing Uzushiogakure." Sarutobi finished his thought, while giving him a photo. It was of three people. Or rather two. It was a picture of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. The third person was not visible, but one could see the bulge in Kushina's stomach. Her hand rested around that are, confirming his thoughts. She was pregnant. "The Uzumaki clan were famous for their relationship with the Senju and for their Fuinjutsu. They were also known for their longevity in life, surpassing that of normal human. You know, your died protecting you. Oh, you should have seen the look on their faces when they found out that Kushina was pregnant. They were both so happy. They would have loved to raise you, and see you grow up. It was their dream." Momo, Haku, Hinata, and surprisingly Tayuya walked up to the blonde, comforting him. Tayuya was more telling him to "man the fuck up," but she meant it to comfort him.

"This is...my mother...and my father." Naruto could feel the tears producing from his eyes, and fall onto the picture. He could barely take it anymore, and he began to cry. It was too much for him to handle, as his emotions got the best of him. It was all the tears he wanted to cry when he was being killed. It was all the tears he wanted to shed when he sat on that lonely swing, staring at every happy family. And now he knew of his own family. He had learned that he had parents who didn't abandon him for being the demon, but rather loved him enough to die protecting him. Naruto hugged the picture, pressing it close to his heart, as if he could feel the warmth of a parent's embrace. The warmth he had longed for since the very beginning.

The warmth of two loving parents.

* * *

><p>The ending seems rushed to me, but I'll change it later. When I have enough sleep, anyways. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. You got some Haku moments, yay!<p>

Fun fact: I was going to open the chapter with Naruto randomly doing Hiken: Tsubame Gaeshi(Concealed Sword: Swallow Return) But it didn't make any sense.


	19. Is the Author of this Fic Lazy? Yes

Here's another chapter because I was bored. I'll take some time to update my other stories after this.

Oh, the wonders of procrastination. Please excuse any and all fourth wall breaking.

I don't own anything.

* * *

><p>"Don't do it too hard!" Momo yelled. "You can't just force it in like that."<p>

"Sorry," Naruto apologized, aiming carefully. "Like that?"

"Yeah. Now be gentle. If you're not careful, you might break something, and you won't want that."

"It seems a bit too tight. I can't seem to get it in all the way."

"Well, now you're doing it to lightly. Try putting in a bit more force, and wriggle it in."

"Right." Naruto did as he was told, but sighed in disappointment. "Sorry, Momo-chan, but I'm inexperienced with this sort of thing."

"Oh, give me that key!" Momo yelled, taking the brass key that Naruto was trying to use to open the gates. The two, along with Tayuya, Haku, and Zabuza were standing outside a compound. But not just any compound, it was special, because of the fact that it had been empty for a long time. Naruto had actually inherited the Namikaze estate from his father, and was giddy at the thought of being able to stay in his house. "Seriously, Naruto-kun, what's so freaking difficult in using a key?" She was able to turn the lock, and open the gates easily. The blonde looked at her, his hand scratching his head in embarrassment.

"What, I was excited. This is the most happiest day of my life, Momo-chan, I can't hold it in! Besides, I've never used a key before."

(Flashback, after Naruto had stopped crying)

"Now Naruto-kun," Sarutobi said, putting his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "You must understand that no parent would willingly sacrifice their child. Minato and Kushina were devastated when they realized that they had to use you for the sake of the village. They wished that it didn't have to be you, and that no matter what, they would always love you. They gave their life, for you. And your mother...Well, no Jinchuuriki survives the process of having their demon taken out of them, but she held on. She refused to die, before she could see you one last time. To speak to you, for the first, and last time." Naruto looked up, his eyes still red from the tears. He gave the old man a sad smile, but nodded.

"I understand, Hokage-jiji," he replied, standing up. Looking around, everyone looked at him with concern. "It's alright, guys. I'm fine now. Anyways, thanks for coming here today. I hope I didn't waste your time." Everyone assured him that it was alright, and began to depart. The only ones who stayed, were Tayuya, Haku, Hinata, Hanabi, and of course, Momo, wanting to make sure that the blonde was really fine. Sakura decided to stay for a while longer, but Ino had asked her to help out at the shop. "Oh, Hokage-jiji, I almost forgot." The blonde grabbed Tayuya's shoulder's, to her surprise, who immediately sent her elbow to his stomach. Naruto doubled back, and coughed, making the red head realize what she did.

"Oh!" she said, seeing if he was alright. "Sorry, but I don't like people touching me. I had enough of that in Oto, and I gained this habit of hitting people who touch me against my consent." The blonde let out a chuckle, assuring that he was alright. Sarutobi found the scene to be amusing, and familiar.

"A-anyways," Naruto tried again, rubbing his stomach. "This is Tayuya, the Oto-nin I told you about earlier. She's been staying at my house." The ones who didn't know her, AKA Hinata, Hanabi, and Haku were giving Tayuya looks of suspicion, with Hinata and Haku more along the lines of jealousy. Momo often slept in the same bed as the blonde, she didn't seem to like the fact that someone else was doing the same thing. And of course, Naruto being Naruto, he didn't notice any of these looks, or knew what they were. But Sarutobi did. The sight made him smile. "We made a deal, old man, and I brought her here." The redhead looked at Naruto in confusion, wondering in suspicion that he had turned her in to the ANBU. The Hokage loomed over her with a strict stare, as if daring her to make a mistake. This was probably a test.

"I see, Naruto-kun. So this is Orochimaru's subordinate." Tayuya scoffed.

"I ain't that pedofucker's subordinate," she cursed, making Hinata blush and cover Hanabi's ears.

"Onee-chan," Hanabi said, looking up at Hinata. "What's a ped-"

"It's nothing!" Hinata exclaimed. She began to squeeze her sister's face. "Don't repeat that word, Hanabi!"

"Look, I know that it seems too good to be true that a person from Oto would be willing to give information of Orochimaru, but I am telling the truth here. I do NOT want to go back to that sorry excuse of a village. So if you want to send me to a cell in prison, go ahead. It's better than back there. At least I know I'm safe." The old man was taken aback by Tayuya's outburst. The redhead scratched her head in embarrassment from yelling at the leader of Konoha's Shinobi. "S-sorry. Can't control my own temper." Seeing this, Sarutobi broke into a fit of chuckles.

"Hahaha. You were right, Naruto-kun. She is an interesting character. Quite interesting indeed." Tayuya looked at Naruto with a questioning glare. The blonde simple shrugged nervously. "Now as a former resident of Otogakure, and a shinobi to boot, there is still some suspicion on your loyalty. Please don't misunderstand, but as Hokage, I need to think of the safety of the village. You're more of a threat than Zabuza is." Said person scoffed. "If you desire to stay in Konoha, you'll need to swear absolute fealty to Konoha. And I will need to have someone with you at all times, if you are to roam the village. He/she'll even need to stay where you live. If you do anything to defy the laws of Konoha, you will be detained, and taken to our best interrogator."

"What?" Tayuya exclaimed, hugging herself as if she had been touch inappropriately. "I don't want some stranger watching me when I sleep. That's just creepy as fuck."

"I'm sorry, but someone needs to be watch over you. It's non-negotiable." Naruto, watching the girl's predicament, wondered what he could do. He walked next to Tayuya, hesitating when he almost put his hand on her shoulder. He quickly retracted his hand, and faced the Hokage.

"I'll do it," he offered, surprising everyone in the room. "Well it'll be a bit troublesome to assign it to any random shinobi, since we need as much protection we can get. And I can multitask with my Kage Bunshin. You can trust me, Hokage-jiji, you know that." Sarutobi stroked his goatee.

"Naruto-kun, do you know what you're saying?" Tayuya stared at Naruto with a strange look in her eyes. "You're right, I can trust you, but do you really want to do so much for a complete stranger? You're doing an awful lot." Naruto gave them a sad smile. His eye softened considerably to an extent that they had never seen before.

"I was never treated to this kind of kindness from people when I still lived in the orphanage. I suppose I felt bad for Tayuya, and felt something similar to how I was." He finished with a grin. "Anyways, I don't mind watching out for Tayuya. It'd be more simple for someone who already knows her, to watch out for her. Especially with her colorful language." The last comment elicited a playful punch from said girl. "You can leave the job to me, Hokage-jiji. I can handle anything she throws at me!"

"Well...If you say so," Sarutobi sighed, rubbing his temples. "You really want to do this?" The blonde nodded firmly, a determined look on his face. "You really are too nice, do you know that? Very well. Tayuya-san, if you could come here to my desk, we can sign those papers, and add you to our ranks. The contract will be effective tomorrow." He motioned the redhead to follow him. Sarutobi gave Tayuya papers to sign, swearing her loyalty to Konoha, as per the deal Naruto and the old man had made the previous day. The girl was more than willing to sign them, also having to verbally swear loyalty for extra measure. And, seeing Tayuya's happiness, Naruto couldn't help but grin. It felt nice to help people. But, it was also troublesome, since now he had just appointed himself as Tayuya's bodyguard. He meant well, but he didn't count on the exhausting things that the job would entail. Pushing those thoughts away, he focused on the tugging he was feeling on his side. Apparently, while he was thinking, the girl he was thinking about had sneaked up on him, and was annoyingly pulling on his sleeves.

"Oh, sorry," The blonde said, putting his attention on the girl. She held the papers in front of her face, covering her face except for eyes. "What's the matter?" The girl swayed, shuffling from one foot to the other, signaling that she was nervous.

"Hey fishcake," Tayuya began, a strange tone in her voice. "Uh...Well...You're being awfully nice to me, despite the possibility that I could be a double spy. You know, the information that I told you could've been false, and yet you believe me. Not to mention the fact that I'm not exactly a nice person, either. So why?" The blonde tilted his head.

"Why? I just wanted to do something nice. It feels good. Plus, you remind me of myself, and that's sad. Anyone that reminds me of me, I tend to help." He flashed her his grin. Tayuya stepped back suddenly, her swaying increasing in speed.

"I-I see. And you even got me, a stranger, citizenship, and protection. And well, this is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me. So..." Naruto waited for a response, but the girl simply covered her face even more.

"So..." He tried to fish out what the girl was going to say. He thought it was just a thank you, but what she really did surprised him. In a swift movement, Tayuya, had grabbed his sleeve, stood on her toes, and pulled the blonde towards her, lightly pecking his cheek. Her lips stayed for a few seconds, while she looked like she was going to erupt from all the blood rushing up to her face. Needless to say, the other girls were stricken with a storm of jealousy and anger. One could practically feel it in the air, and it made the Sandaime feel awkward to be in the same room as them. The action caused the blonde to freeze. As much as he had ever experience in his whole life, one thing that the blonde never experienced was any type or variation of love. And here, Tayuya the sailor mouth who he barely knew, and seemed like she didn't even like him very much, was displaying a blatant display of affection. And before he could say or do anything, the redhead retracted her body, threw back her fist, and followed up with an unexpected punch to his head, causing him to propel to the other side of the room, hitting his head on the wall, and knocking him out cold. Tayuya stood there, her face as red as her hair, trembling in embarrassment. She was stuttering.

"U-u-uh. T-tell him I said thank you," she said, before leaving in a hurry to the forest. "I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID THAT!" Her voice echoed across Konoha.

(Flashback End)

"Naruto-kun," Momo mumbled. "The flashback is kinda dragging on, the readers are gonna get bored at this." She pointed to the Zabuza and the others, who were standing still, waiting for the plot to carry on. Tayuya was hiding her face, and turned away from everyone.

"Hold on," Naruto exclaimed, raising his hand towards the girl. "The flashback's not done yet. Let the readers know how Tayuya sees how freaking awesome I am now. She totally digs me!" The Bijuu looked at her prison with her mouth gaping. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish

"Wait! You know about her feelings? WHAT ABOUT MINE?"

"What feelings?" The blonde had a grin on his face, and put his hands behind his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about." The girl was about to strangle Naruto, until...

"STOP BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL!" A booming voice shouted from the heavens. "THIS PART ISN'T EVEN PART OF THE CHAPTER'S PLOT!" In a flash of light, a few minute's worth of time was reversed, and deleted.

(Flashback after Naruto regained consciousness)

The blonde rubbed his head, wincing at the pain. "What the hell happened?" He asked, looking at the other girls. They stared at him with a look of anger. "Did I do something wrong? I can't remember anything except for Tayuya signing papers. Speaking of which, where is that girl?" That only seemed to piss off the girls even more, but he didn't notice. "For some reason, I want to beat her up." He stood up, and looked out the window. "I think I'm gonna go now, Hokage-jiji. I gotta train for the 3rd exam." He summoned his Kusarigama, and threw it at a pole. The ball and chain wrapped around it, and the blonde pulled at it to tighten it's grip. Seeing this, Sarutobi's eyes suddenly widened. And before Naruto could jump out, Sarutobi stopped him.

"Naruto-kun!" He exclaimed, almost causing the boy to face plant on the windowsill. "Come here for a second." Wondering what would make the old man yell at him, the boy retracted his weapon, accidentally decapitating the pole that it had been wrapped around. The blonde quickly retracted the kusarigama, and walked towards the Hokage. but seeing the old man's serious face, all humor disappeared. "Now Naruto-kun, what I'm about to say is just for now, a theory, but...Well...It seems that you've gained you're mother's abilities." Everyone looked at Naruto in surprise. The blonde wasn't faring well either. He knew he had the, what he dubbed, Kitsune no Me, and that wasn't really a Kekkei Genkai rather than just an alteration of his Chakra. What ability could he possibly have?

"What do you mean? Are you saying I have a Kekkei Genkai?"

"Actually, I'm not sure if it even is one, but your mother was unique at being able to use this ability. Tell me, how far does your kusarigama reach, Naruto-kun?" The blonde furrowed his eyebrows, not knowing how his weapon could relate to his mother's abilities.

"I don't know, Hokage-jiji. Pretty far, I guess. I can extend the length of the chain, but I don't know how much." After saying that, Sarutobi nodded his head.

"I see. That's what I thought. There's a little fact about your weapon, Naruto-kun. A kusarigama is not able to extend it''s length at all." All Naruto could do was blink in confusion. No one else was faring well either. "Perhaps it's rather better to show you. Can I see your weapon, please?" Naruto held up his kusarigama, and handed it to Sarutobi. He looked out the window, and began to spin the chain. "Now I'm going to try and reach the farthest tree over there, Naruto-kun. I want you to watch." With a surprisingly hefty throw, the old man threw the blade out the window, towards a tree that was several yards away from them. But it was not long enough to reach, and stopped several feet away from the trunk. The old man retracted the chain, and handed the weapon back to Naruto. "A kusarigama can only reach between 8-10 feet. Nothing more, and nothing less, unless the user manually adds or removes more chains made from natural metal. Why don't you try to reach the tree, Naruto-kun?" Unsure of what the Hokage was talking about, Naruto walked to the window, and began to swing the chain. He focused on the tree, and threw his weapon with his full strength. It was to everyone's surprise that the blade cut into the trunk of the tree. Naruto was bewildered, since he was standing at the same spot Sarutobi had stood when he had thrown his weapon. "You see? Now retract it back." Naruto did as he was told. "Now extend it, without throwing it." Still skeptical, Naruto focused chakra on the weapon, and pulled at the chains. As he did, new chains were being added, like a secret compartment was there. But unlike the others, there was a faint blue glow that surrounded the newly added chains. "You see, your mother was an expert at the ability known as Chakra Chains. It was known throughout the Uzumaki Clan, so it could have been a Kekkei Genkai, but you are the last Uzumaki alive to our known knowledge. Uzushiogakure was destroyed in the war, and there are no known scrolls or documents about it's nature. But it seems you have inherited her ability." Naruto looked at his weapon amazed. "They don't have to be just from your kusarigama. Through time, you'll be able to fully produce chains simply from your hands."

"And what about my dad?" Naruto asked. "Did he have anything I inherited from him?" Sarutobi smiled, and reached for a secret compartment in his desk.

"Aside from his looks, there are some other things you have gotten from him. But you'll have to see for yourself. Hold out your hand." Naruto did so, and the old man gave him a brass key that had some weight to it. It was rather large, so it must've been important. "This, is the key to your new home, the Namikaze estate." The blonde looked at the object in awe. "You've earned it, Naruto-kun. It's been kept clean by the Sarutobi clan."

(Flashback End)

"Do you feel like something important just happened?" Momo asked, opening the gates to the Namikaze estate. Naruto shrugged, and walked through, motioning the others to do the same.

"No idea what you're talking about," he replied with a sense of déjà vu. "Now come on, you guys, I wanna see the inside already. Come in, or I'll lock you out." The others didn't waste time in following the blonde. The compound was so regal looking, that the floor was a shiny marble rather than rough concrete. One could lie down, and they would be completely comfortable, because not only was it clean, there was an intricate set of seals that emitted a warm heat from the ground. On the right, there was a very beautiful garden that Naruto knew the Yamanaka clan would love to see. Haku was practically squealing over the rows and columns of tulips, roses of many colors, petunias, violets, sunflowers, gardenias, daisies, lilacs, and other flowers and plants that she had never seen before. As they walked further in, the trail expanded into a large circle. The Uzumaki swirl was engraved into it, spiraling towards the middle of the circle where a fancy looking fountain sat. It was pretty big, and the water was cold and fresh, to the point that it was drinkable. It would certainly be a good thing during Summer. Inside the fountain were shiny stones that shined with the sunlight._  
><em>

"Holy shit," Zabuza mumbled, clearly impressed by everything. "I am going to have a good time living here. I'll split off from you guys, and find the training center. There's bound to be one around here somewhere." Naruto nodded and waved the man away. Haku was next to go, who couldn't hold her urge to look at the Namikaze garden. Naruto couldn't help but think that she was so cute and girly when she was excited like that. But she wasn't the only one who looked happy. Tayuya was rather cheerful as she stood close to the blonde more than usual.

"What's with you? Naruto asked, catching the girl's attention. "You've been pretty happy recently. Did something happen?" Tayuya stepped back in response, taken aback by the sudden question.

"W-what? I can't be happy?" she replied with her arms crossed. She turned her head away from Naruto. "I'm just happy that I don't have to be in that shitty excuse of a house back in that forest. It's only natural that I'd be, in the very least, glad. Especially after..." Her head lowered with an embarrassed face, as she rubbed her arms. "Never mind. I'm going to see if there are any places I can play music in peace."

"Alright then. See ya." Tayuya grunted in response, before running away. "Let's look at the main building, Momo-chan." The two walked into the largest building in the compound. The two removed their footwear, and stepped onto the tatami floor. The whole place was pretty empty aside from the furniture that looked like it had been cleaned recently. Sarutobi did say that his clan had been cleaning the place. The kitchen was recently stocked with fresh food, and a feast was laid down. It was as if they knew that Naruto would come. "Wow," was all he could say. He wandered around, taking everything in. It was still unbelievable to know that he was the son of the Yondaime Hokage. He barely knew anything about his mother, but from what Hiashi had told him, she was beautiful, kind, but could be merciless at times. If only there were more information about her. Naruto reached a room that piqued his interest. Unlike the other rooms, this one was more colorful, with soft blue walls and a padded floor. The shelves were littered with photo albums that revealed to be empty. This caused Naruto to frown. Why would someone have empty photo albums in plain sight? He pushed that thought aside when he found something else. A small chest was placed in one corner of the room. Opening it, he found several toys that would be suited for little kids. It was probably for the small kids that lived here. That's what he thought anyway, until Momo spoke.

"Naruto-kun," she called with a solemn tone. "Perhaps you want to see this." Naruto stood away from the chest, and followed the girl through a doorway that was connected to the blue room. The new room, had the same walls and floor as the last one. The only difference with this, was the object in the middle of the room covered by a large blanket. Momo didn't tell him anything else, and motioned for Naruto to uncover the object. The blonde took the cloth in his hand. For some reason, he was more hesitant to do what Momo wanted him to. He felt like he wanted to know what was under the cloth, but at the same time he didn't. But with a large inhale, he pulled the blanket away, and looked at the object with a frozen body. The blanket fell from his trembling hand. The object was made of wood, painted a bright orange. It had been taken care of, since the paint looked recently applied. It was half his height, and he grasped one ledge, rocking the object back and forth. Letting go, the rocking continued, and the sound of bells echoed in the room. He ran his hand all around the object while his heart ached. He came across indentation in the wood. Stepping back, the indents formed letters, and the letters formed a name. "Naruto."

"This is..." He couldn't finish his sentence, his lips trembling. It was a crib. And not just that, it was _his_. This meant that his parents had prepared long before he had ever been born, getting toys for when he grew up. There were even clothes that grew in size, no doubt for when he outgrew his old clothes. The thought that his parents were so exited for his birth, and that they went ahead, only for it to be all for naught, made him depressed. His crib was a reminder of the love of his parents. He affectionately rubbed the crib, and rocked it again. "They really did love me. Those two...Come one, Momo-chan. We shouldn't mess with this room any longer." He left the room with a smile in his face. Momo stayed behind for a while, looking at the the crib with a luminescent blush.

"At least until the future," she added to herself, as her heart fluttered at the thought. She soon followed the blonde. The two walked around some more, seeing Haku out in the garden, examining the plants like a Yamanaka. Naruto found a dark room, and he instantly wanted to go inside. He turned on the lights, and found an office full of books and documents. This room looked like it hadn't been touched in years, which was evident from all the dust that covered the books. In the far side of the room, a desk was placed, and two scrolls were on top of it. Naruto picked one of them up, and he noticed the signature that was written.

"Namikaze Minato," he read, before picking up the other scroll. "Uzumaki Kushina." Putting down Kushina's scroll, he examined his father's scroll. The scroll was covered with a small square with words. "Only the blood of a Namikaze can open this." He took a kunai, and pricked his finger, before he smeared the blood on the square. The scroll's flap separated, and Naruto could unroll the content. Looking around, he realized that it was a letter addressed to him.

_"To Naruto,_" was the first thing that was written. _"The only reason that you would be reading this, is because I am not alive to tell you this in person. If that is so, then the fist thing I will say, is that I'm sorry. You may hate me right now, sticking the Kyuubi into your stomach. But please forgive me. I couldn't do anything else, because the attack was so sudden. I can only hope that you are doing well. If not, then again, I am sorry. Nothing I say may not be able to compensate for any wrong doing that has befallen on you, but I do not know what else to say, except no matter what, even if you decide that I am not worthy to be your father, I will always love you. Right now, the Kyuubi is looming close. It's almost time for me to seal it into you. Your mother is also writing, but I don't know how long she'll be able to keep conscious. Usually, no Bijuu holder can survive the extraction, but she's still holding up. I guess she's stubborn enough to defy even the Shinigami. Anyways, when the time comes for you to know the truth, I give you the Namikaze compound, complete with everything in it. It this compound, you will find everything that I have ever studied and written. If you want, you can look over my notes. There is one thing that I want you to have, and that is my Hiraishin no Jutsu. This is a very special Jutsu that I created long ago. With this, I know you will be strong. The Hiraishin will be in a secret compartment on the desk. Along with the scroll, you will find several three-pronged kunai. I want you to take them, as they are needed for the basics of the Hiraishin. Naruto, my son. I will always be proud of calling you a Namikaze. Be strong, and prosper. Perhaps you will take the role of Hokage one day. Make a name for yourself, alright? Show the ninja world the might of the Will of Fire. This is it. Remember, my son. I will always love you. Those words are ones I can't say enough to you."_ Naruto held back the tears that threatened to pass his ducts. He say the marks on the scroll where drops of fluid had been. Minato was crying the whole time that he was writing. He set the scroll down with a whisper of "Thank you father," before picking up the other scroll. He smeared the residual blood that stayed on his finger, opening the scroll. The writing was more sloppy, and the paper had more tear marks on it. No doubt, the fact that Kushina was dying was a factor to this. Naruto inhaled deeply, setting his eyes on the scroll's writing.

_"To my Naruto. How I wish I could stay in this world, and be the mother that I've always wanted to be. But it seems that I will not be able to do that. Like Minato is probably saying, I am sorry, for what will happen to you. I know the hardships of being a Jinchuuriki, and I hope you will stand strong from the abuse. I will always love you, and that will never change, Naruto. The blood of the Uzumaki runs in you, and you should show the world our power. But be sure to be nice, and don't talk to stranger. But you're probably grown up by now. My words still stand, though. Don't make girls cry, you hear me? If you do, I will haunt you."_ Naruto sweat-dropped. _"If you ever meet someone named Jiraiya, make sure to beat him up for me. And don't eat too much ramen. I've always been an addict to that ambrosia, but I don't want you to be one as well. Oh god, it's almost time to go, and I'm not even finished. But I'll say this. The Kyuubi is not all bad. Her name is Momo, and she has no control over her body right now. When you meet her, I want you to promise me something. Please take care of her. She'll regret what will happen today, and she needs someone to comfort her. She's never had many friends, except for me and your great grandmother Mito. I'm sure she'll love to know you, and maybe even more than that. I love you, Naruto. I'm glad to know that the Uzumaki clan will live on with you. And in the off chance that you inherit my Chakra Chains, I will leave the details of this ability next to your father's Hiraishin. Make sure you master it, and I know that it'll help you in your life. It's time to go now, Naruto. I'm so sad that this will happen, but I want you to know that I thank you for being born. More importantly, thank you for being born to us, and letting us be your parents, if only for a little while."_ A sad smile made it's way onto Naruto's face. He rolled up the scrolls, and pocketed them for safekeeping. He would not lose these items, no matter what. He examined the desk, and found a button on the top left corner. Upon pushing it, the sound of gears clicked, and the top part of the desk rose slightly. Naruto put his hands under it, and pulled up. The top part of the desk was removed to reveal two more scrolls, along with five Hiraishin Kunai. He picked up the blades, and pocketed the scrolls for later. The sound of chatter reached his ears, signaling that everyone had entered the building. He exited the room, and was taken aback by the sudden sight of Tayuya. The girl had changed her clothes, now wearing a short-sleeved, tan kimono-like blouse with a dark embroidered border, held closed with a black colored obi. Along with that was a dark skirt and stockings that stopped at her thighs, and brown sandals. The sight looked oddly familiar, and the thought struck him, as he pulled out a photo of his mother when she was about his age. The photo had been inside Minato's scroll. He looked at it, before looking at the her. It was surprising to see how the redhead looked like his mother.

"It's about time I got out of those old clothes," Tayuya remarked, turning around and posing, to see how she looked in the mirror. "Compared to that damn purple pretzel, this is much better."

"I hope you know those are my mother's clothes," Naruto deadpanned, causing Tayuya to freeze where she stood. Her head turned to look at Naruto.

"O-oh. Sorry, fishcake. I guess I'll change back." Ignoring the insult, the blonde shook his head.

"Nah. You can keep the clothes. You look good in them." The remark made Tayuya step back in surprise and let out a strange noise.

"W-wha-what are you saying all of a sudden, idiot?" She turned away, and strolled to the other room. "Don't say things that are so stupid!" Naruto was about to say something else, but he decided against it. It seemed that no matter what he said, The girl was going to be med. He didn't know why.

"I don't understand women," he mumbled. "Shikamaru was right when he said women were troublesome." Haku walked into the room, her hair decorated with a hibiscus over her ear. She had tied her hair up in a ponytail. Her mood was completely positive, nearly skipping as she walked around. She must've really loved flowers to be so happy. "Well, did you like the garden?"

"Of course!" She exclaimed. "You should already know that I love gardening. That garden is like paradise."

"Well in that case, I know where you can get a part time job. The Yamanaka clan is also known for their flower shop. If you love it so much, you should apply there someday." She looked like she was thinking about it.

"Maybe I will. By the way, Otou-sama is stuffing himself in the kitchen. We should probably have lunch."

"Alright." He called Momo to him, and the three went on to eat their lunch.

(Later)

Naruto had wanted to visit Anko at the hospital, so he made his way to the building. When he had asked the nurse about Anko's status, she made a strange face. "It's a bit strange," she said, looking at the Tokubetsu Jounin's data.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"Well, Mitarashi-san has recovered considerably that she could get out, but for some reason, she won't get out of bed. All she ever does is look out the window with a melancholy face. If you could somehow inspire her to be her usual self, I would thank you." Naruto nodded, and proceeded to Anko's room. True to the nurse's words, Anko sat on her bed, the blanket covering the lower part of her body. She had brought her hair down, and her purple locks draped down her face. Her usual provocative clothing was now just a t shirt and pants. He had never seen her with normal clothes on, so she was visibly surprised for a while. The most surprising part of this, was the gentle look on her face that was different from her usual look. If no one knew who she was, they would have thought that she was a quiet beautiful woman, and right now, she was. Not that she wasn't beautiful, but she certainly wasn't this quiet. Anko let out a wistful sigh.

"Anko-chan," Naruto greeted, getting her attention. Anko barely showed any attention to him, barely looking his way. The most was a momentary glance, before her eyes went back to the window. "Looks like you're a bit melancholy there. You need anything?" There was no response. "If there's anything wrong, I can help you. If you want, you can tell me, but if it's personal, you don't need to."

"Just leave me alone," her voice muttered, a sad tone riddled in. "I need time to myself right now, Naruto-kun. After all that's happen, my mind is all jumbled up." Naruto sighed, as he thought of what he could do to cheer Anko up. He shrugged.

"Very well, Anko-chan. I'll be going, I guess." Anko didn't look back, as the blonde exited. She was left to her peace...that is, until the door slammed open. The sudden intrusion caused her to jerk her head to the door. Naruto had kicked the door open, and jumped into the room. But that's not what really surprised her. Looking at Naruto, Anko blushed considerably. Why? Because after Naruto had gone out, he had removed his coat, and mesh, along with his shirt, leaving him in nothing but his pants. That meant that Anko was able to see Naruto's well toned body, and muscles. It was pretty much flawless, with no alien marks anywhere. "ANKO!" Naruto yelled, making sure to show his body. "Get your ass off that bed right now! If you do, well...look. This skin has no cuts whatsoever, and I know how much you love to cut people up. Get up now, and you can spill that precious blood you love. That's what you like, right? You said so during the second exam. I'm offering myself here!" Truth be told, the moment she had seen him, Anko was resisting the urge to jump the blonde. "Or are you such a lazy ass who can't get up from something like this!" That caused a vein to throb on her forehead. He began insulting her, making Anko's mood drop more and more, and a fire in her body grew brighter and brighter, until...

"THAT'S IT!" she yelled, jumping up from her bed. Her eyes held a flame of determination and sadistic pleasure in them. Out of...somewhere, Anko took out a kunai, and began licking it. "You offered, kid, so come here! I'll take you right here, right now!" Naruto blushed at the double meaning to that sentence, but he grinned competitively.

"You'll have to catch me first." He immediately jumped out the window, and Anko followed him. The two broke into a large scale cat and mouse all around Konoha. And as time progressed, the men who saw him and saw a crazed Anko, they showed their respect. As he passed, the men saluted the blonde like a war hero.

"Come here, you brat! Let me cut you up! Sen'eijashu." She shot his hand out, and the snakes spiraled around themselves to get the blonde.

"Oh hell no!" Naruto screamed, turning around momentarily. "Kaze no Yaiba!" He arced his arm with his index and middle finger extended. The air around him became thick, and formed into a razor like weapon. He began to wave his hand around, working the blade like a whip. The snakes were shredded into pieces, but Anko didn't give up. After a while, he vegan to feel overconfident. Anko was able to catch him off guard, and unleash one of her snake on him. There was no way he would've been able to dodge. "For the love of Kami, give me something useful! And damn it mom, if I really inherited your Chakra Chains, then let me use it just this once!" As if his prayers were heard, when Naruto had extended his arm to try and summon a chain, the exact thing happened. The chain rocketed out of Naruto's palm, and onto a pole. Without a moment's though, he pulled himself away to safety before the snake could get to him. Unfortunately, the technique didn't work again, and Naruto had to continue with jumping. "One time thing, but I ain't complaining. You gotta do better than that, Anko-chan!" He disappeared in a Shunshin.

"Damn it!" She followed suit, and the sky was filled with many sparks and bright flashes. These were the clashes that the two had, before the blonde would escape. "Sen'eijashu!"

"That ain't going to work!" He flipped through hand seals. "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" bringing his hand up to his mouth, and exhaled a large ball of fire that Anko evaded. "Come on, Anko. Where's that power you boasted before?" Naruto was pretty confident in his evading skills, until Anko unleashed her next technique.

"Sen'ei Tajashu!" Unlike before, the usual 3 snakes were now a multitude of them, going into the double and maybe even triple digits, and all Naruto could say, was-

"WHAT THE FU-" Before he could finish, he was engulfed in the Jutsu.

(Later)

Anko set Naruto down on top of the Hokage monument, and shook him to wake him up. After he had been trapped, the boy had sort of blacked out. "Wake up, Naruto-kun." She stared at the blonde's face, and smiled. She knew that all that he did was to cheer her up, and that was so nice to know. And it worked. And after the blonde woke up, the two shared a laugh. "You know, after that confrontation with Orochimaru, I've been pretty depressed because I've been so set on killing him, but I couldn't do anything. I was set on even having to kill myself, and I realized that I would miss everything if I had actually finished that Jutsu. This was the thing that I would miss the most, because of all things, these moments me and you have, are the most fun I have ever had in my entire life."

"Yeah," Naruto replied, grinning at the girl. "I'm glad that you're back to normal. And you didn't even cut me up at all." True, not one part of his body was cut up, which was something that he didn't expect. Although she refused to give him back his clothes, so he was still topless.

"Of course. Although this is a one time thing. Next time, I really will get you." Naruto could only laugh. "I should thank you, kid. You're really the only person to make me feel so happy. Everyone else, save the Hokage and some other shinobi, sees me as that bastard's apprentice." A warm breeze blew towards the two, making Anko's hair dance in the wind. She raked it backwards so that it wouldn't get in the way of her eyes.

"I couldn't stand to see you so depressed, so I felt that I had to do something. Although, when I entered the room, I almost didn't recognize you. If I didn't know who you were, I would've thought that you were this beautiful woman. Until you opened your mouth, that is." At the compliment, Anko's face lit up. She playfully hit the blonde.

"G-geez, kid. You can certainly be flattering when you want to. You're going to break a lot of hearts one day."

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Naruto stared at the purple haired woman with a questioning look, but shrugged.

"Well, whatever." The two stayed on top of the Hokage Monument, watching the setting sun cast an orange veil across Konoha. It was a serene moment that nothing could interrupt, and it was the most peaceful thing that Anko had ever experienced. The moment the woman trained to become ninja, her life had become the opposite of tranquil and serene. That's why it was nice for a change of pace. "By the way, Anko-chan. You weren't there at the meeting, so you didn't hear anything." Anko tilted her head.

"What meeting?" She asked, disappointed that she had missed something important. Naruto began to retell the whole thing at the Hokage Tower, leaving no detail out. The woman was truly surprised by the information reaching her ears. And when the boy relayed his story to her, she felt closer to the blonde. Her own childhood wasn't very good, but his was just tragic. At one point, she let her arm snake around his shoulder. She pulled him close to her into the closest thing she considered a hug. Naruto blushed at the closeness, especially since her breasts were pushing against his bare back. "Wow, kid. I never would have guessed. I knew about your childhood, since I helped deal with people who tried to kill you, but nothing of the rest. You know, someone like you is really hard to find. You're the type of person to look at your own misfortune insignificantly. When poeple hurt you, you'll be sad, but you'll never let anyone share it. It's because you're too nice. A normal person would've taken his revenge on everyone, and probably slaughtered the civilian side of the village, but they're still alive. They still look at you with such hatred, and you let them do it. But you're a Namikaze! You're the son of the Yondaime, and Kushina Uzumaki! If people knew that, they would stop all of their foolishness, and see you for the hero you truly are."

"But that's the easy way," Naruto replied solemnly. "The moment they know, they would grovel at my feet, and kiss my ass. It would only be to get on my good side, and that's something I don't want. When the time comes that I reveal my lineage, it will be when I gain the trust of everyone. I want to see their faces when they realize that everything they had done was something they'd regret for as long as they live. They'll regret every moment that they see me, as I rule over them. You could say that it is the most patient way of revenge, but whatever." Her grip tightened, and she let out a small chuckle.

"Like I said, you are too nice for your own good."

"Yeah..." After that, neither Naruto nor Anko said anything else, enjoying the sunset and the warm breeze. For that moment, who cared that there were people trying to kill them? Forget that there was ever any danger in the world. In lives that constantly pulled people's lives in danger, moments of peace were what they lived for.

(After a few weeks)

It was finally time for the third exam. After the extended break, the preliminaries were now in session, and no one had ever been more excited. Well, there was Gaara, who simply stood where he was supposed to, next to his siblings. While there used to be 78 people left in the second exam, only 21 had been able to make it to the third, which was something that a newly vigored Anko found interesting. Everyone was in their respective teams, standing parallel to the Jounin, Chunin, and the Hokage. Naruto looked left and right feverishly, seeing who it was he would possibly fight. The concept of the preliminary tournament excited him to no end. After he had moved into the Namikaze compound, he and the other residents of the place felt like they were living in luxury. The blonde had raided his dad's closet, finding his old long coats. It was what he had worn when Minato was appointed as Hokage. One of them caught his attention. It was the same type of long coat as his dad, but this one was black. On the bottom, instead of red flames, it was a dark blue. And on the back, where it usually had "Yondaime Hokage," the name "Naruto" was printed on it. The blonde wasted no time in trading his old long coat for the one his father had made for him. Looking closely inside, he found a small stitching that read "For my son. May he wear it proudly." So, the boy now stood with his new long coat that nearly touched the ground. His black shirt was still over his long sleeved mesh which were now visible, reaching to his wrists. Hinata gave him her smile, to which Naruto returned with his grin. Sasuke and Sakura were also excited, not wanting to be shown up by Naruto.

"Pay attention, you little maggots and Naruto!" Anko exclaimed. "Hokage-sama will now explain the rules of the third test." Everyone turned their attention to the leader of Konoha, who stood there with his pipe lit. His expression quelled any joy in the area, and replacing it with grim seriousness,

"Well," he began. "First, allow me to congratulate you all for passing the second exam. And before I tell you the rules, I need to tell you about this exam's true reason. Now some of you may be asking, 'why are our countries taking the exam together?' Perhaps it is to show that our countries are indeed close, or maybe to raise the level of shinobi. But in truth, the reason that we are all here, is because it is a replacement for war. In history, we were all enemies trying to rule the land, and fighting each other for that power. In order to prevent such unneeded fighting and death, they chose a stage for the countries to battle. That is the origin of the Chunin exam." Naruto's expression darkened at the bloody truth of it all. "While it is a fact this exam decided who is truly capable of being a Chunin, it is also known that the competitors of this exam fight for the prestige of wherever they hailed from. For whichever country's strength is clearer, the more clients they receive for things like missions. Of course, the opposite goes, to whichever country is clearly weak. In the end, it is a massive advertisement for who has the most powerful country." There were several protest of the need to risk their lives for such an advertisement, to which Sarutobi replied with, "The strength of the country, is the strength of the village. The strength of the village, is the strength of the Shinobi. And a Shinobi's true strength, is born only though life risking battle. By losing life, and establishing balance, this is the grim truth of the friendship I spoke of. This is no test, but a life risking battle, putting everything about you, on the line." He let the information sink in into everyone's head, before continuing. "Now about the rules of this exam." A cough interrupted the moment. In puff of smoke, a Chunin appeared and knelt in front of Hizuren.

"If you would allow me," the man spoke with many coughs between his words. "As the referee, I would like to do the explaining." The Hokage stared at this subordinate, and allowed the request. The man faced the Genin with a greeting. Everyone was surprised that he was an incredibly sickly looking person, who was trembling and shivering. He ignored the kids' looks. "Hello, I am Gekko Hayate. As you know, this is a preliminary for the third test. This is to decide who will be able to participate in the real tournament. It seems that the first and second test have been too easy this year, and we have a bit too many people. And as such, we need to reduce the numbers. There's no fun in watching through too many long battles. So, those who feel like quitting, go ahead and say so." It was Kabuto to step up, gaining Naruto's interest. It didn't seem like someone who went through the exams so many times would quit so easily. Looking on the crowd of Jounin and Chunin, he saw the Oto Jonin staring at Kabuto with a grin. That only made him more suspicious. "If there is no one else, then I have one last thing to say. From this point on, you are all on your own. It's everyone for themselves." The proctors and the Hokage mumbled things about the information the boy who had forfeited. Something about a survivor of Bell Flower Pass. Kabuto turned to his teammate with the mask, and mumbled something with a smirk. He looked to the Oto Jonin briefly, before turning to the Konoha Genin with a fake apologetic face. Sasuke, looking at the white haired boy, suddenly tensed up, and grasped at the spot that Orochimaru had bitten him. This did not escape Naruto, who immediately went to his teammate, and asked what was wrong. Sakura had also followed, wanting to help her fellow teammate. Prior to the preliminaries, she had been training like Naruto had instructed her to. While not being anywhere near the levels of Sasuke and Naruto, she could actually hold her own. Naruto had even helped in her training, and by training, she meant throwing her around the training ground. Mostly, the training was for her physical strength, Chakra control, and medical Jutsu. Haku was able to instruct the pink haired girl in herbalism to make various ointments for various situations. After that, she began to carry around a pouch full of herbs.

"It's nothing," Sasuke replied, trying to act like nothing was wrong.

"It's not just something," Naruto mumbled. "Show it to me, Sasuke." Reluctantly, the Uchiha lowered part of his collar down, and revealed the mark to the boy. By itself, the tomoe marks didn't really look like much, but Naruto knew what it really was. At one point, he had taken to studying the books about seals from his parent's notes, trying to find a way that would destroy Anko, Tayuya, and Sasuke's cursed marks. "The pain just surges every now and then, but I'm fine." Sakura tried to use a healing Jutsu, but it didn't seem to do anything.

"Sorry, Sasuke-kun," Sakura apologized. "It doesn't seem like I can do anything about it." Sasuke assured the girl that it was okay. She thought back to when Orochimaru had told him that Sasuke would look for him, and felt completely worried for her friend. Recently, she had let go of her fan girl tendencies. More specifically, Naruto had beaten the habit out of her. True, she still had some residual feelings, but it had now dwindled down to a simple admiration.

"Don't push yourself," Naruto said. "If you ever feel like you can't fight, then don't hesitate in quitting."

"Don't be stupid, Naruto. I could never...No, would never do such a dumb thing." The blonde put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I am serious, Sasuke." Suddenly, somthing snapped inside the Uchiha, and he swatted his hand and arm away. Naruto was surprised at the action, and stood face to face with Sasuke's Sharingan eyes.

"Don't tell me what to do, Uzumaki," he snapped suddenly. "I will decide what I do. This test is simply for me to know my strength. Other than that, nothing else matters." Naruto kept his face blank, knowing all too well that the reason for his temper tantrum was due to the seal on his neck. Realizing what he had done, Sasuke stepped back, and hung his head. "S-sorry, Naruto. I don't know what came over me."

"It's alright." After their conversation, Hayate coughed to gain everyone's attention.

"Well, with these numbers, we will have ten battles. The winners will be able to advance to the third exam. In these fights, there are virtually no rules. The winner is decided until one of you dies, or is knocked unconscious, or admits defeat. For those who do not want to die, I advise you to admit defeat immediately. Now..." He waved his arm towards a covered area, and cued for something to be revealed. "This is an electronic board that will randomly choose two people to fight. Let's see who will fight first. Suddenly, the screen turned on, and flipped through many names before stopping on "Uchiha Sasuke" and "Akado Yoroi."

(Skipping some fights, because they kinda bore me, and I know they bore you)

In the end, Sasuke won, but he was struggling through the whole thing. Kakashi had instructed him to not use the Sharingan, because with the seal on him, it could've been the end of him. Yorori's ability was almost like a Chakra vampire, and he constantly tried to drain Sasuke of his Chakra, almost causing Sasuke to use the Cursed Seal. But he was able to repress it by sheer will. Sasuke was able to perform a kick like Lee had done to him, absolutely surprising said green Genin, and performed a modified rendition of the Omote Renge. Kakashi was soon taken by Kakashi to seal the curse mark.

The next battle was Shino, and that one Oto-nin Zaku. It was rather surprising being able to see the Aburame fight, since it seemed that he never moved a muscle. It wasn't so much a surprise to team eight's Hinata and Kiba, who had seen him fight before. Kiba remarked that Shino was one person who he did not want to fight, making Naruto interested in how strong he was. It was barely a fight to begin with. Zaku was able to hit Shino with his Zankuuha, but it did barely anything to his opponent. His bugs ambushing him from the back made the situation a lose lose one. There was no way to win for the Oto-nin, but he had to try anyways. Zaku had faked his injuries and tried to use both his hands on the Aburame, but was soon beaten when his arms exploded. Shino had flooded the air holes in Zaku's arms to keep all the pressure inside until his arms simply blew up. Shino was the victor. Naruto smirked at the feats of his friend, giving him an impressed nod. He returned the favor and went back to the stands with his teammates. At that point, Kakashi had returned to tell the two that Sasuke was now sleeping in the hospital.

The author of this story has decided to not even care about explaining the fight with Kankuro except for the fact that he is a puppeteer.

With Ino and Sakura, the fight ended with a double loss, meaning that neither of the two would be able to move on. Yes, Sakura had been training and had improved a lot, but so had Ino. The two were evenly matched at that point, and for two girls who were only fan girls a few months ago, the two made a very entertaining battle. It was a battle to settle the score and mend a broken friendship that had remained broken for many years. The tears and blood that the two had shed showed in the way they fought, and it made Naruto smile to see such a friendship begin to reconcile. Ino had cut her ponytail off to capture Sakura so that she could use the Shintenshin, but Sakura was able to force her out with her Inner Persona. The fight ended when the two had puched each other in the face, effectively knocking each other out.

Next was Tenten and Temari. It was over quickly, to Naruto's disappointment. From the very beginning of the match, he knew that the weapons girl had no chance. This was from the fact that Temari used a fan, and powerful Fuuton Jutsu to fight. Everything and anything that Tenten had thrown at her, Temari would simply bounce back. It didn't take long for the Suna-nin to find an opening and declare victory. Tenten was taken to the hospital to recover.

It was Shikamaru and Kin to fight, and it was rather short as well. Kin, like Haku, used Senbon to fight, but she attached strings and bells to them. But, Shikamaru being the tactician that he was, he was able to effectively use his Kagemane to control the girl. When both of them threw a shuriken, Shikamaru simply leaned back, and Kin did the same. the only difference was that Kin hit her head on the wall, hard. She was knocked out immediately.

And the next fight was the one that the author really wanted to type, simply because it had our protagonist in it. Well whatever. The fight was between Naruto, and the Izuzuka. The blonde sighed in relief that he was finally called to battle. Anymore of the waiting, and he would have started a riot. The two stood parallel from each other giving off their respective grins.  
>"Well it seemed that we're fighting each other," Naruto said. "Who would've guessed, right Kiba.<p>

"You're right, Naruto," Kiba replied. "I've always wanted to fight you like this. Tell me, have you practiced that move that my mother taught you?" Naruto grinned even more, if that was possible, and nodded his head. "Well good. You better use it with honor, or else you'll embarrass my whole clan."

"I'll keep that in mind." In the stands, Hinata was having a hard time who to cheer for. Of course, she was going to cheer for Naruto because of her feelings, but Kiba was her teammate, and it would seem rude not to cheer for him.

"Begin," Hayate instructed, and the two immediately moved backwards before going into the same pose. Kakashi's eyes widened.

"No way," he mumbled, catching Sakura's attention.

"What is it," Kakashi-sensei?"

"I'm surprised at Naruto. That move is-" He didn't need to finish his sentence, as both the combatants yelled their move.

"TSUUGA!" Naruto and Kiba lunged forward, turning their bodies at a rate that seemed humanly impossible. The result was two drilling objects, one black and the other grey rushing at each other. Everyone from Konoha, or knew of their clans, were visibly surprised at the fact that Naruto knew the Inuzuka's move, and wondered how in the hell he learned it. The two drills collided and they grazed off each other, before turning around to do it again. It almost seemed like the clashing wouldn't stop, but soon the two broke off their Tsuugas, and examined each other. The two did not come out unscathed as multiple scratched and cuts on their body. But the grins never left their faces.

"Not bad, Naruto, but remember this!" Akamaru stood next to his master. Kiba threw a pill at his companion, and Naruto watched as Akamaru's fur changed to a red that matched his name. "No matter what, you will never surpass an Inuzuka in his own technique! Jūjin Bunshin!" In a plume of smoke, the small dog disappeared from sight and was replaced by a feral looking Kiba. Actually, there were now two Kibas who looked more animal than human. "Let's go, Akamaru!" The other Kiba nodded, and they pounced the Uzumaki. "Face the power of the Inuzuka's Shikyaku no Jutsu!" Both Kibas were on their hands and feet like wild animals. Naruto dodged who he guessed was Akamaru by the lack of human speech, and grabbed his legs, before throwing him aside. In mid-turn, he ducked quick enough to pass below Kiba, but he didn't take account the claws that he had. They ripped through his mesh covered arm, and drew blood, making the blonde wince at the pain. Raising his foot in a Lee-like manner, Naruto was able to strike Kiba's stomach, propelling the boy in the air.

"Alright then," he said, flipping through seals. "Fuuton: Renkuudan!" The blonde filled his stomach with air, before pounding his fist into it. This resulted in a highly pressurized blast of air to launch up to Kiba. The boy barely had enough time to react, but used Tsuuga to get out of the way. Kiba made his way to Akamaru, and both of them lunged their bodies at Naruto.

"Gatsuuga!" They yelled, creating a twin drill attack that spiraled around each other.

"Doton: Doryuuheki!" Naruto stomped on the ground, and created a thick slab of stone to get in the way. In truth, it was only to buy time, and it was enough for Naruto. Kiba and Akamaru drilled their way through the wall of stone, but failed to find Naruto. "Over here, biscuit breath!" The two looked up to find Naruto and a clone falling from the sky. The clone of Naruto put his hand in front of his mouth and exhaled.

"Suiton: Mizurappa!" A jet of water exhaled from his mouth, and soaked a large part of the stage in water. Overall, no damage was given to Kiba, who was confused. That is, until the real Naruto landed on the ground. Numerous amounts of water droplets rose in the air, and the sight made Sakura's eyes widen.

"This is from a friend," Naruto explained, before his hand flipped through one handed seals. "Sensatsu Suisho." Everyone looked in awe as the droplets rose in the air, and formed into many needles. There was no escape for the Inuzuka as Naruto raised his hand. "This is it." His hand lowered, signaling the needles to rain down. A splash of water hid everyone's view of the battlefield, but when it cleared, the Inuzuka was nowhere to be seen. But what they DID see, was a large gaping hole in the ground. "Clever," Naruto scoffed, before jumping backwards. Kiba rose from the ground along with Akamaru. "So you used you Gatsuuga for escape. Good job, Kiba."

"Thanks," the dog boy said. "But thanking me won't change that I'll win this battle." Naruto's face lowered so that his eyes were hidden. But, his grin still shined through and a chuckle escaped his lips. He raised his hands separately, and to everyone's surprise, his hands went through two separate sets of seals.

"Oh? But it looks to me that you've already lost. Sorry, man, but it's been fun." Kiba was rather scared at Naruto's face, and backed away. He was being more freaky than Shino. "There's no escaping this, Kiba. Allow me to show you something special." His hands stopped, and everyone could feel a trembling in the air. "Mohou Hyouton: Koriryuudan(Imitation Ice release: Ice Dragon Bullet) no Jutsu!"

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><p>I guess I'll end it here. Why don't I give you some omakes then.<p>

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><p>Omake 1 If you've watched Sengoku Basara, then you'll get this.<p>

Sarutobi Sasuke, the Sandaime's dad, was having one of his daily strolls around the village. The old man had been through a lot, though one would never be able to see it now. Well, with his son as Hokage, he was able to live a life of luxury. As he was walking, he couldn't help but notice two individuals in a training ground. Actually, it was impossible to ignore them, as they were shouting.

"LEE!" The older of the two green clad men shouted.

"GAI-SENSEI!" The other replied with the same tone. The two continued their shouting.

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!" And as the old ninja looked at their antics, the images of two individuals replace them. They were characters from his memories as an active ninja.

"YUKIMURA!" A man yelled, lauching his fist into his companion's stomach. The boy seemed to pay no heed to it, and punched the elder in the face.

"OYAKATA-SAMA!"

"YUKIMURA!"

"OYAKATA-SAMA!

Sasuke shuddered at the sight, and hurried his way away from the area.

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><p>Omake 2<p>

"Naruto," Sakura said, looking at her teammate with a strange look. "What the hell are you doing?" Yes, our blonde protagonist was in a rather strange pose, holding something to the sky. It was a butter fly, and it was flapping it's wings.

"I'm testing out that Butterfly Effect thing," Naruto exclaimed. "It's been said that something small like a butterfly flapping it's wings could cause a tornado somewhere else, so I've been pointing this butterfly in the same direction for days. I want to see if it's true."

"Do you even know where you're pointing that butterfly at?" Naruto shrugged.

"Nope."

(Later)

"Hokage-sama!" An Chunin exclaimed, kneeling in front of the old man.

"What is it," Sarutobi asked.

"Well, there seems to be reports of an onslaught of tornadoes in Kumo, and it's causing a commotion." Hizuren was rather surprised.

"O-oh. I see. If that is all, then you're dismissed." The Chunin bowed, and left the area. The hokage couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Naruto hold a butterfly towards the general direction of Kumo.

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><p>Well, give me some reviews to work with so I can improve scenes or the whole story. Until next chapter.<p>

Review/Flame


	20. Time For Some Training

Chapter 20 is up.

Sorry for the hiatus. I've been out of it for a while, so I'm a bit rusty in Naruto. I'll make the next chapter soon maybe. Of course I'll also edit this chapter. For now, enjoy. Thanks to those who still read this.

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><p>(Flashback)<p>

At a time of peace between the second and third test, Naruto took Haku to a lake in the center of the forest for a bit of R&R.

"Haku-chan," Naruto said, throwing a stone across the lake. The girl watched it skip numerous times.

"What is it?" she asked, picking up a stone of her own. With a good throw, she managed to get her stone to go further that Naruto's. She gave him a smug look, which the blonde took as a sign of a challenge.

"Your Hyouton. It's a Kekkei Genkai that allows you combine both Wind and Water release, isn't it?" He added a bit of chakra to his next stone, and threw it. It passed Haku's.

"Yes. It's special to my family, apparently, so even if you wanted me to teach you, it wouldn't work." She did the same as Naruto, and it passed his. After a moment of silence, she added, "I suppose, that if you were to have perfect harmony of Water and Wind chakra, you could imitate Hyouton. But the thing is, you'd need to maintain exactly the same amount of chakra for each element constantly." Naruto repeated his process, and surpassed Haku.

"...Suppose I do something like make two Kage Bunshin. My chakra would have split equally three times. If my two clones were to use all their chakra to perform jutsu of similar nature but different elements, would the work?" Haku stopped mid-swing.

"You really want to learn Hyouton, don't you?" Inside, she was happy that he wanted to know what she knew. If she was able to actually teach him, all he would have to do was ask. Naruto gave her his usual grin, which never failed to cheer her up.

"But then again, I'd be left a bit drained when those clones come back to me. Oh! What if I use one handed seals?" Haku raised an eyebrow. "Think of it. Two separate hands performing different seals of similar jutsu. Do you think you can teach me?"

"One handed seals?" Naruto nodded. Haku smiled at him. "Of course. That, I can teach you." She threw her stone, and the two watched as it skipped all the way across the lake, until it reached the other side. When it did, Haku used her Kekkei Genkai to create a slope that directed the stone back to their direction. Haku expertly caught it.

"That doesn't count," Naruto whined, making Haku giggle.

(Flashback end)

"Mohou Hyouton: Koriryuudan(Imitation Ice Release: Ice Dragon Bullet) no Jutsu!" Naruto yelled, as the stadium shook. The water on the ground rippled, and rose in the air. Not knowing what to do, Kiba stood carefully. He knew that Naruto was strong, INCREDIBLY strong. If he were to let his guard down even for a millisecond, who knew what could happen? The water gathered in the space between Naruto's hands, that stopped performing signs. He took a deep breath.

"I've got to say," Kurenai said to her team. "this boy surprises me to no end. To think that he's so young, and can perform such a powerful Jutsu. Not to mention that he did it with two hands performing one handed seals." Hinata nodded in agreement.

"Naruto-kun is incredible," she muttered. "both as a person and a fighter. No matter how many times I talk to him, and learn more about him, I'll never stop being anything but surprised." The teacher looked to her student with an eyebrow raised, before looking back to the blonde who had filled his lungs with air. She noticed that the atmosphere in the room was still, almost stagnant.

"Ah!" Naruto blew air onto the water. The result was almost terrifying. In a split second, a blast of ice and snow in the form of a dragon rushed towards the direction of Naruto's breath. The spectators shielded themselves from the chill that made its way around the room.

"What the hell is that?" yelled Kiba, jumping to the side in the nick of time. It proved useless, as the dragon simply coiled itself around him and Akamaru. He let out grunts from the constriction Naruto's attack made on him. "Think you can trap me, huh?" We'll see about that." He got into a position to use Gatsuuga. Naruto saw this, and stopped his jutsu.

"Oh no you don't! Kage Bunshin!" A clone appeared before him, who took hold of his leg, and swung. The clone threw the original, who was going through seals. "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" The fireball left his mouth, and towards Kiba, before going through another set of seals. The fireball, augmented by his power, melted his dragon, but did not harm Kiba. Though the sudden loss of constriction made him lose his balance. He barely had time to look at the blonde, before he was at his side. But he was not at a position to hit him. Rather, his hands were on the puddle of water that had been his ice dragon. "Suiro no jutsu!" Water spiraled underneath Kiba, before rising to trap him. Kiba found himself at Naruto's mercy. The blonde placed his other hand atop the water, and trapped Akamaru. "Damn, that jutsu is still a work in progress. I hoped that it would end the fight." He watched as Kiba and Akamaru writhed inside their prison. Feeling that they had enough, he let the two go. The exhausted Akamaru turned back into his dog form, while Kiba laid on the ground breathing heavily. Naruto took this chance to slam that base of a kunai onto his temple, rendering him unconscious. He sighed to himself. "There goes the chance to end the fight with an awesome Jutsu. But I suppose a victory is a victory." He eyed Hayate, and he stared back. The proctor motioned at him.

"The victor of this fight is Uzumaki Naruto!" He announced. The spectators gave stunned looks. It was the other Konoha Genin who applauded with everyone else coming later.

"That was nothing short of amazing," Kurenai mumbled, causing Hinata to nod in agreement. "I fear for whoever goes against him later on." The kunoichi noticed her student run up to the blonde with a small container in her hands.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata greeted. She stopped right in front of him, and held the container in her hands. "Congratulations! I knew you would win."

"Thanks," Naruto replied. He looked at what Hinata was giving him. "What's this?" The Hyuuga heiress gave him a shy smile.

"It's some medical cream I made. I wanted to give it to you for you cuts and bruises."

Kurenai observed her student in amusement, and looked to the blonde who held a strange look on his face.

_...Did she forget that my wounds heal almost immediately?_ He thought. _Or did she make it even after knowing that?_

"You should take it," Kurenai advised. Naruto looked to her, first at confusion of not knowing who she was, before looking back to Hinata. He took the medicine from her hands with a wide grin.

"Thanks, Hinata-chan. It's nice to know that you care for me that much." At his words, the Hyuuga's face lit up like a lantern. But she matched his smile with her own.

"Of course!" The display sent a happy feeling through Kurenai's body. Then a sigh exited her at the thought that she was in her 20s without so much as a boyfriend. Her status as the "Ice Queen" didn't help much either.

"We will now be announcing the next match," Hayate said, getting everyone's attention. The remaining contestants looked to the board with a sort of fear, asides from people like Gaara or Neji. The board stopped on two names, which caused a gasp to leave almost everyone.

"Hyuuga Hinata vs. Hyuuga Neji," is what it read. The blonde looked to the girl in question, and found her frozen to her spot with disbelief. Meanwhile, the other one held its stoic expression, but he could see an angry fire in those blank white eyes. Hinata's body trembled slightly, causing Naruto to place his hand on her shoulder. This got her attention, and Naruto gave her a stern look.

"Hinata-chan. Do not be afraid. You are strong, I know it. You have what it takes to beat him." He turned towards the other Hyuuga. "That Neji person though...I'd be careful around him. He looks strong as well."

"Neji-niisan is a prodigy," Hinata said in a quiet voice. "He is very strong."

"Well forget about that," Naruto persisted. "Knock him down, okay?" Hinata stared off into the distance, before giving an unconvincing nod. Naruto shut his mouth, and let her walk down into the stadium.

"A fight between the Main and Branch house," Kakashi mused, getting the others' attention. "No doubt, there will be some hostility and bad blood. Though it looks like it is one sided."

Neji and Hinata stood a good distance away from each other. The timid of the two felt overwhelmed by the glare that the other was giving her.

"Hinata-sama," he began, "Let us be honest, there is no way you stand a chance against me. Forfeit now." Hinata looked at her cousin in disbelief. "Let's face it. You are too kind and peace loving. You agree with others without an opinion of your own. With your feeling of inferiority and indecisiveness, it would be best that you remained a Genin...but you didn't have the heart to refuse your teammates, and entered the exams."

"...You're wrong," Hinata refuted, "I wanted to show myself that I could be what I strive to become. I wanted to change."

Kurenai thought back to when she had been assigned to watch over the Hyuuga heiress, and talked with her father. Hinata was bested by her younger sister many times, and Hiashi worried for the future of the clan. He was forced to stop Hinata's training in favor of her sister by the elders of the Hyuuga clan. He hoped that Hinata would grow better in her hands, outside the influence of tradition.

At Hinata's words, Neji grimaced. "It seems that you are an idiot, on top of being weak. Unexpected for someone of the Main house." He mentioned the class with malice. "People cannot change, no matter what they do. Losers will always remain losers."

Up in the stands, Naruto gripped the railings, causing an audible creak as the metal bent to his rage. Sakura tried to calm him down, but it didn't stop the jinchuuriki from glaring daggers at the Branch member. His killing intent caused a bead of sweat to roll down Neji's face. He continued to chastise Hinata's motives, cursing the position that he was put into. His Byakugan activated, and he threw insult after insult, making Naruto angrier and angrier to the point that the railings had melted. Everyone stepped away from the blonde, fearing that even touching him would send his wrath towards them. Momo did her best to stop him from ripping Neji apart right there. Hinata was on the verge of tears, but held her stance strong, if not for her, then for the promise to Naruto. As Neji continued, Naruto reached his limit when Neji proclaimed,

"You cannot change your-"

"Yes you can!" His voice, full of sound and fury, but signifying so much more than that, caught the competitors' attention, along with everyone else. His fangs bared, showing sharp canines that thirsted for bloodshed. "You do not decide for others whether or not they hold importance in this world. Do not think that even for a second, that just because you are inferior, to other people's eyes, that you can't rise so much further." Neji faced his Byakugan towards Naruto, and instantly froze in fear. His whole being shook at the animosity that emanated from every cell in his body. His chakra glowed crimson and quivered like boiling blood. "Don't look down on yourself, Hinata. Whether you win or lose this fight, there is always a path towards a better tomorrow. You are not stuck at the place that people tell you that you are." The onlookers watched in surprise at the emotion in his voice. Those who knew his secret knew that he wasn't only speaking about Hinata. His words sent a feeling in Gaara's being that he was unable to recognize. "Fight, Hinata. If not to win, then to fight this bastard's complaining." Hinata, struck by his words, felt confidence fuel her. For once, she felt that she could face that challenges that life threw at her. She might not succeed at first, but she would eventually overcome them.

"It doesn't look like you're going to give up," Neji said as calm as he could. "What happens here is no longer my fault." But even at his sinister tone, Hinata stood tall. Her pupils became more pronounced, as the veins around her eyes bulged. She had activated her Byakugan. She settled into the Gentle Fist stance with eyes that reflected her resolve.

"Neji-niisan," she said. "We fight." The other scoffed, and went into the same stance. Hayate saw their readiness, and declared the match's beginning.

The two instantly acted, thrusting their palms at each other in hopes of getting their target. It was clear to everyone that Neji was the better fighter. The Gentle Fist, with its softer blows than that of Lee and Gai's style, could kill the strongest person if they are not careful. And Neji proved the strength by striking Hinata's chest, and more importantly, her heart. Blood gushed from Hinata's mouth, causing people to look away in disgust. But even through this, Hinata continued to fight, wanting to prove Neji wrong. Neji still held the upper hand with superior skill, but Hinata didn't let up. By this time, Neji had already closed the pressure points on her arm. Neji forced his cousin to the ground with a shove, showing that she was near her limit.

"Hinata..." Naruto mumbled, anger still emanating from him. But now, he also felt guilt. Guilt from forcing Hinata to fight, and getting this beaten up. But he knew that even if he had told her to forfeit at this point, she would have refused.

"Forfeit," Neji repeated, ready to finish it if she were to not do so. "You can see clearly, the difference in our power. That loudmouth in the stage does not know the suffering that I face, knowing that even though I am stronger, I am forced to the lower ranks." At this, Hinata's body trembled. But this time, with anger. She slowly stood back up.

"Don't you dare think that you have suffered more than Naruto-kun," she said. struggling through damaged lungs and a burning throat. "I will not stop fighting until I have been rendered unable." After she said that, she coughed up more blood. She was the one to continue the fight by charging at her cousin. Neji sighed, and expertly dodged her every time. He struck her head, making her knees buckle, but she stood back up nonetheless.

Kurenai watched her student in amazement. Never before had she seen such fire in her eyes. She looked to the blonde that could summon such passion from the timid girl that would normally fail the missions she was given.

Neji made one more blow, making Hinata collapse onto the floor, seemingly unconscious. Hayate stepped in.

"It looks like she is unable to fight any longer. The winner-"

"Not yet!" Naruto yelled, against his better judgement.

"Are you crazy?" Sakura protested. "She can't fight anymore." It was then that Hinata proved her wrong by standing up to fight once more. Her whole body was in pain, and it hurt to even breath. Yet she stood. This made Neji question her in his mind, at why she would continue a fight where she would obviously lose.

"Its useless," he taunted. "This guise of toughness is useless. You are barely standing as it is. With the responsibility of the Main house on your shoulders, you hoped to change yourself to reach the standards set upon you. but it is all useless. You cannot change. That is destiny."

"You're wrong," Hinata said, her voice trembling. "You are the one with the guise. Against the destiny of being part of the Branch house, you channel your anger towards others, rather than change yourself...and that's more pathetic than me." Her words caused something to break within Neji, filling him with anger. He charged at Hinata, with murderous intent, until the Jounin were forced to intervene. They held back the prodigy of the Hyuuga from striking down the heiress. By this point, the damage to her body caused Hinata to collapse. Naruto instantly jumped to her side, and knelt down. He wiped the blood from her face.

"Momo," he mumbled out of earshot. "Heal her, but don't cause suspicion."

"Sure," the fox replied. "Leave it to me." Naruto nodded, and stood up to see Neji glaring at him. He responded with his own.

"You are an idiot," Neji said, "You should keep your petty opinions to yourself. You are no better than her." Naruto clenched his fist. It happened in an instant. Gai and Kakashi didn't expect it, but before they could react, Neji was on the ground with his face covered in the blood that Hinata had shed. Neji looked up with a straight face that hid the anger and fear that he felt.

"Do not test me," Naruto threatened with a voice so calm, that it frightened everyone. "Pray that you are not my opponent in the future. You'll be lucky that you're alive, much less a member of the Branch house.

The next fight between Gaara and Lee was a bit of a blur to him due to his anger, but he made sure to take notes of Suna's Jinchuuriki. His ability to manipulate sand was on par with his ability to control fire. Of course, being solid matter, he used it primarily for defense. But if his fight at the forest was anything to go by, Gaara was only able to control sand as it is. If he changed its properties, such as super heating it to the point of turning into glass, then it was useless to him. And he had to admit, he was a bit impressed at the weights that Lee had on him, and the impact it made to the ground. He was even more impressed at the change. He was able to go through Gaara's defense, and even scratch him with speed that was a bit difficult for him to follow. But as Lee brought kick after kick, Naruto's suspicions were answered. Instead of bruises and blood, Gaara had an outer layer of sand over his body. And he was getting angry. It was then that Lee performed the Lotus attack that Gai had stopped him from using against Sasuke, but it was all for naught. Gaara recognized Lee as a threat, and went on the offensive.

"Lee better be careful," Naruto whispered to himself. "Gaara is fully capable of killing him." It was then that Lee revealed yet another technique about him. Both double edged swords. The Gates, and another Lotus attack. Everyone except for Gai looked in awe from the sheer power that Lee performed. "You think I could do that, Momo?"

"Technically anyone can," she replied, "But I'd advise you not to learn. Not only would regenerating your muscles be troublesome, but I fear for what will happen with all that power." The blonde took her words into account, and pushed the thought aside. When he looked back, Lee was tossing Gaara around in the air. He let out a whistle. Lee opened the fifth gate, and performed the Ura Renge. But even then, Gaara came out unscathed. He sent out his sand, wrapped it around Lee's left limbs, and crushed them. Lee let our a wail of pain and agony. Gaara wanted to end it, but before he could, Gai stepped in. And this act of protection caused Gaara confusion. Naruto himself could understand, as he had done so before. Gaara was eventually announced as the winner, though it wasn't surprising with Lee's state. Unconscious while standing up, anyway. Naruto jumped down once more, when the medical-nin came to take Lee to the infirmary.

"He's beaten up badly," he said, looking at his limbs.

"He'll never be able to live as a shinobi again," he overheard the doctor claim, causing Gai to gasp in disbelief. The blonde gave Lee a pained look.

"A shame. He would have been great to fight against."

"I cannot heal someone like this," Momo informed. "I can heal your broken bones and even torn muscles because we're connected, but I can't do that for others."

"Speaking of which, how is Hinata-chan?"

"She's resting well. I fixed what I could, and enough to not ward any questions." Naruto nodded, and bowed as Lee's body passed by.

The next match was between Chouji and an Oto-nin. The Oto-nin won. Quickly.

And thus, the preliminaries of the third exam was completed. Hayate congratulated the remaining fighters, while Kakashi shunshined away.

"Now that that's out of the way," Sarutobi started. "Let's explain the main test, shall we?" The fighters listened carefully to the elder as he smoked his pipe. "Think of it like this. This exam is a preparation for you to get to know your enemy, along with yourself. This preliminary round had you fight as if you were in an actual battlefield against an unknown opponent. But now that you have seen what you all can do, you will have to be able to analyze the data, and push yourself to be able to beat your opponents, no matter who they might be. Of course with factors such having already done your best, or being badly injured, one month will be given to you all to train and rest." Silence filled the room, as the remaining fighters thought of what they had to do in one month's time.

Naruto scanned the room, looking at his potential opponent. He scowled at Neji, and observed Gaara.

"You've got a month," Momo said from his hood. "You'll need to train more, just in case you get the Jinchuuriki of Shukaku." Naruto grunted in response.

(Hospital)

Sasuke laid in bed resting after his cursed mark nearly took control of him. Meanwhile, bodies littered the hallway. The one left standing was Kabuto with a sly smile on his face. He entered Sasuke's room and eyed the Uchiha. "We're both unfortunate, aren't we?" He mumbled as he took out a scalpel. "We both stood out enough to catch the eye of Orochimaru-sama. But look at you. Such a young age with so much hate in your heart. So much to use against you." He positioned the scalpel, but threw it behind him. The sound of someone catching it made his chuckle. "Just what I'd expect from you, Kakashi-san."

"You're no ordinary Genin," he said carefully. "You noticed my presence and immediately attacked. You're quite the guy." Another chuckle came from the bespectacled boy.

"No, not really."

"What did you want with Sasuke? Depending on your answer, I'll have to capture you for investigation." This time, it was full blown laughter.

"Do you really think that it can be done by the likes of you?"

"Would you like me to try?" Silence held for a minute. "Who are you? To think that you would kill all the ANBU members that I prepared. A no good ninja like yourself. You're connected to Orochimaru, aren't you?"

"If you capture me, you might not be able to prove such a claim. But if you let me go, you'll sure find out. How about it?" Kakashi responded by brandishing a kunai with a face that screamed killing intent. "I guess that's a no." Kabuto's own Kunai was positioned at Sasuke's throat.

The second that Kabuto raised his blade, Kakashi sprung into action by knocking his kunai away, and knocking him down. Just then, one of the ANBU bodies got up.

"I see," Kakashi said, creating a shadow clone of himself. But that didn't stop the assailant, as he proceeded to jump out the window. Kakashi witnessed the falling man take off his mask to reveal Kabuto's face. "Damn, he got away." He looked at the fake on the ground, and noticed the stitch across the replica's face. "He controlled a dead body that he surgically modified to look like him, all while stopping his own heart for a while to disguise himself as an ANBU that he killed."

(Chunin Exam)

"Now before you guys go to train," the Hokage announced. "There's something to be done." Anko approached them with a box. "There are pieces of paper inside, and you will all take one."

"I'll come around," Anko said. "Don't be so impatient to behold my presence." Naruto scoffed, gaining a look from the woman. One by one, the fighters took a piece of paper that revealed a number. Naruto drew a number one.

"Alright, now tell us your number starting from the left." The numbering was as such:

Dosu-8

Naruto-1

Temari-7

Kankuro-5

Gaara-3

Shikamaru-9

Neji-2

Shino-6

"And that means Sasuke is 4," Ibiki decided as he wrote each person to their number.

"And now we will be announcing the arrangements," Sarutobi announced, making everyone nervous. Ibiki turned the paper around, and showed the match-ups.

Naruto was against Neji, to the former's sadistic joy. Gaara was against Sasuke, Kankuro against Shino, and Temari was against the winner between Dosu and Shikamaru.

"And thus, you will now be able to think of strategy, or rest," said Ibiki. "Now is there any final questions before we dismiss you?" Shikamaru raised his hand.

"With the way that this exam is made, there's only one winner. Does that mean that only one Chunin will be made?" Sarutobi chuckled.

"Not at all," he assured. "Several judges including myself and the Kazekage will observe all of you and evaluate your potential to be a Chunin."

"Does that means that there's a possibility for everyone to become Chunin?" Temari asked. The Hokage nodded.

"Yes. But on the other hand, there is a chance that none of you will be promoted. Try to gain the appeal the judges, okay? And with that, you are all dismissed." Naruto turned to Sakura.

"Did Kakashi go to Sasuke?" he asked the pink haired girl.

"Yeah," she replied. "Are you going to visit him?" The blonde nodded. As he turned to head for the hospital, he threw a scroll at the girl.

"Take this. Even if you aren't fighting next month, you should still train. Feel free to ask me questions when you see me." He shunshined away before Sakura could say anything.

(Hospital)

"He's unavailable for visit?" Naruto asked the people at the desk.

"Yes, we've been told that no one is to see him right now," the employee informed.

"How about Hinata Hyuuga?"

"She is in room 910." Naruto nodded, ignoring the evil eye he was getting from people. He spotted his Sensei from the corner of his eye. "Kakashi-sensei."

"Naruto-kun," Kakashi acknowledged. "I'm guessing that you're here to see Sasuke?"

"Yup. But it looks like he's unavailable. I suppose I'll get going."

"Ah, speaking of which, I have someone to train you in place of me."

"Don't need it," Naruto countered, flashing a grin. "I'm good. Besides, there's Haku-chan, Zabuza, Momo-chan, Tayuya, even Anko-chan. I think I can manage."

"That's a shame," Kakashi droned. "I had Ebisu all ready for nothing." Naruto chuckled when he saw a certain black-clad ninja grumbling and walking away from the corner of his eye.

"Just train Sasuke as hard as you can. He's gonna need it against Gaara." Kakashi slightly blanked when he heard of Sasuke's opponent.

"I see. Well you train hard as well."

"I plan to." Naruto walked away from his teacher. "For now, I suppose I'll visit Hinata-chan." Kakashi watched the blonde disappear around the corner.

Naruto got to Hinata's door, and knocked a few times.

"Come in," her voice sounded. She sounded very tired. When she saw the blonde, a smile blossomed on her face. Momo shot out of his hood and nestled herself on her lap.

"How do you do?" she asked. "I hope you are recovering well." Hinata nodded and stroked her fur, to the fox's delight.

"Thanks to you, I believe. I thought I recovered from that fight faster than I thought I should. Though I'm still very much in pain."

"I only helped. By command of Naruto-kun of course. I couldn't fully heal you, or else someone might notice. Only one in the village has that type of instant healing, and people might make the connection. An incorrect connection." Hinata pointed her smile at Naruto.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun." The blonde scratched his head, slightly embarrassed.

"It was just a good deed," he mumbled. "I only do it for people precious to me." The Hyuuga blushed at being called precious. "...Sorry for making you fight."

"No, there's no need for that. You cheered me on, you didn't force me. I was the one that decided to fight Neji-niisan."

"But I could have prevented you from getting this bad if I had kept my mouth shut." Hinata shook her head.

"I would have fought nevertheless. I knew that I would lose, but I wanted to show that I could fight. Besides, it's just as you said: There's always improvement. A better tomorrow." She put her hand on his shoulder to assure him. "Once I get out, I will train harder than I have ever done before. If life knocks me down, I'll get back up. If my style is not adequate, then I'll change it to get maximum proficiency. So you shouldn't beat yourself up over my injuries." She pulled the blonde into a hug that Naruto couldn't help but compare to a mother's embrace. She was warm to the touch. "After all, your wounds are deeper than mine." Naruto stayed that way for a while until Momo started biting one of his hands. He tried to get away, but Hinata's arms became heavy. He heard her breathing, and realized that Hinata had fallen asleep while hugging him. The blonde nearly chuckled, and gently got out of her grasp. He laid her head on her pillow before leaving the room.

(Later in the Hot springs)

Zabuza and Naruto entered the water with a satisfied sigh. "Damn, this feels good," the former nuke-nin exclaimed. His sharp teeth caused the other bath-goers to flee. "Hmph. Cowards."

"Don't scare them then," Naruto chided as he made himself comfortable in the water. He looked around the almost empty bath, and noticed a white figure against the girl's side. "Would you look at that? A pervert." He turned to Zabuza, who had hidden some alcohol and was busy getting drunk. Seeing that he was useless, the blonde decided to investigate by himself. He tiptoed his way towards the white haired pervert, hearing very lewd giggles unfit for his age.

"This is some good stuff," the old man said as he wrote something down on a notebook.

"Oi. What are you-" Before he could finish, Naruto was taken back by the sudden summoning of a large toad, and being stricken down. He stayed on the ground, blinking a few times to process what had happened. He looked up to see who the man really was. That's when it clicked. Only one person in Konoha had that long spiky white hair. Or that horned Hitai-ate. He remembered his mother mentioning him in the letter, and he remembered the photo of his father's team when he was a Genin.

"Try to be quiet, kid. What if I had been caught?" But Naruto didn't care. He instantly stood up with a grin that threatened to split his face. The blonde started to laugh, making the old man raise an eyebrow.

"Hahaha! Oh, this is good! This is excellent!" He extended his arm, and held out his hand. "Jiraiya the Toad Sage! I want..."

* * *

><p>Chapter 20 done.<p>

...

Flame/Review


	21. End of Training

And here is Chapter 21 of the story you didn't want, but got anyways.

...I'm very busy.

I'll fix things later.

* * *

><p>"I want three copies of all of your novels!"<p>

...

"Huh?" The Toad Sage stared at Naruto, who was grinning like crazy. "What was that?"

"You heard me. I want three copies of all the books in your Icha Icha Paradise franchise."

"I heard you, it's just...I didn't expect that." Jiraiya sat on his summoned toad's head with what looked like disappointment. "Don't you want to want to learn the Summoning Jutsu? The Rasengan?" An orb of chakra appeared in the man's hand, disturbing the steam around them, but Naruto simply waved it off. "Besides, why do you want three copies?"

"It's common to want three copies. One to read, one to lend out, and another for display. And as for those two techniques, it's something you already owe me." Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. With so much steam obscuring his view, he couldn't make out Naruto's face.

"Oh? And who are you to speak to me, The Great Jiraiya, like that?" Before he could blink, the man soon found himself on the ground face first.

"There's my reason," Naruto replied haughtily. The Sage got up and knocked foreheads with the blonde. The two initiated a battle for dominance to keep the other at bay.

"The hell was that for, you one eyed brat?" Naruto's grin grew wider.

"You really don't know, do you? Perhaps this will make you realize." Naruto lifted his eyepatch to reveal his gift and curse. Jiraiya was so taken aback, that he leaned backwards. The result was Naruto face planting from lack of resistance. "Now, do you know?" He was picked up by the toad's slimy tongue, and was brought face to face with his godfather. He examined the boy's face, taking notice of the whisker marks on his face.

"No way," he muttered. "I couldn't see very well with all the steam, but now that I get a good look, I can see the resemblance to those two. You even spoke with a verbal tic." Naruto's nose scrunched up. He never noticed the way he spoke.

"Now that we got that out of the way, I still want my three copies." The toad launched him towards the hot springs, where he was met with scalding hot water. Naruto couldn't be affected by any fire, but he was certainly not invulnerable to hot water. The boy emerged from the water as red as a lobster. "Hey! You owe me big time!" Jiraiya crossed his arms.

"For what?"

"Well one, you're my godfather. Second, you never once checked up on me as a kid. And third, I am a fan of your works. Don't you have any sense of gratitude for your readers." Naruto felt the Sage's fist drive onto his skull.

"You idiot," Jiraiya sighed. "First off, a kid like you shouldn't be reading these kinds of things. Also, you seem so sure that I never looked out for you, but let me ask you this: Who do you think gave you that wallet?" The blonde looked at the man with genuine surprise. He never knew where Gama-chan came from. One day, it was just there in his house back in the forest. "That's right. I tried to always be in the village on your birthdays, and leave you presents." Naruto looked down in shame at yelling at the man. He always wondered who left him the birthday cakes and clothes.

"You should have at least said 'hi,'" Naruto mumbled with a pout on his face. "I was lonely, ya know?" Jiraiya sighed again, and rested his hand on his godson's head.

"I'm a very busy man, Naruto. I have a whole intelligence agency to run. I can't just be your godfather." Naruto pulled the older man's hand from his head.

"It was hard to grow up without mom or dad." Jiraiya nodded solemnly. "I had to teach myself to survive. I had to work from the bottom to get to where I am now. And I'm still far from the top." It was one of the few moments where Naruto acted like the lonely child that he really was.

"Argh. Enough with the guilt trip, kid. I can't take it anymore." Jiraiya crossed his arms, and thought about his situation. "Look, seeing as you're doing the exams, why don't I train you? It's the least I can do." He saw the blonde's eyes sparkle with life.

"Seriously? You're going to train me?"

"Yeah, I got some time. We'll start tomorrow, so you better be ready. Where do you live now? I heard that you moved out of the forest."

"Hokage-jiji gave me the key to the Namikaze estate. I'm living there with a bunch of people now." Jiraiya smiled at the joy in his voice when he mentioned his friends. His right eye sparkled like the blue sky, in contrast to the darkness looming in his left one.

"Looks like you're already making a family of your own." He rubbed Naruto's head, and the blonde immediately swatted it off. "I'll be there by morning tomorrow. You go and prepare." Naruto nodded his head vigorously, and set off with the intoxicated Zabuza.

"Come on, you drunk. Haku-chan's gonna give you an earful when she hears about this."

"Be nice to Haku," the former Nuke-nin slurred. It was clear that he didn't handle liquor very well. "She'll make a very good wife one day."

After dropping off Zabuza by literally dropping him, Naruto decided to go on a walk. His life wasn't one where he could take a relaxing walk anytime, but he wasn't gonna let that stop him from doing so. The blonde stretched under the warm sun.

"I can't believe I got to meet Jiraiya so quickly," he said to himself. "I thought I'd have to search for him for a few years." A grin made its way onto his face. "But now I get to train under him. This is gonna be awesome! I could just imagine what I could do with the Rasengan." He had read about the technique, amongst other things, from Minato's notes. The Hiraishin that he had mentioned in his farewell letter wasn't something he could master anytime soon, but he felt that the Rasengan could be done by the time the exam started again. Overall, he couldn't have been happier.

"Mommy," a voice said, catching the blonde's attention. He spotted a child with his parent walking in the same path as him. "I got good grades in school today. You think I'll be able to become a ninja?" Naruto heard the mother giggle. She patted her son's head affectionately.

"Of course. You're going to be the best ninja ever. Come here." The woman pulled the boy into a hug that was warmly returned. "You're a good boy." Naruto continued to watch, not noticing that he was staring. There was a jealous look in his eye. The blonde brought his hand to his head, trying to remember how the Sage had done the same to him.

"Hm," Naruto grunted bitterly. "What's so nice about being patted like a dog?" There was a pang in his chest as he said that. His eye directed to another family. The mother and father were sitting on the grass, watching their child play with a kite. He was having trouble getting it in the air.

"You can do it," the parents encouraged. "We believe in you." After a few moments, the kite began to rise. It soared through the sky like a bird. Seeing this, the kid was jumping in delight. He ran to his parents, where he was met with an embrace from the two. "You see? I'm so proud of you." By now, Naruto was glaring. He was feeling bitter.

"It doesn't take much effort to fly a kite. Why are they so proud?" His light steps became stomps. Naruto didn't know why he was so angry. He had seen these things before, but it never bothered him until now. Then again, he never thought about his parents until recently. The fact that he was living in their house didn't stop the thoughts. Was he jealous? Barely anyone commended him on his deeds, big or small. No one ever told him that things were going to be okay when he felt discouraged.

"Hey, it's that boy." Naruto's ears pricked up at the voice. He could tell it was being directed towards him. People were looking at him now, but the blonde wouldn't meet their gaze. "Isn't he _that?_"

"Shh. We can't talk about that. You know the rules."

"Let's get out of here. I don't want my child to be affiliated by him."

"Yeah. There's no telling what can happen with him around. Only bad things, I suppose." Naruto's teeth gnashed together.

"Yikes! Let's go quickly." The surrounding people left the area, leaving Naruto by himself. It wasn't packed to begin with, but the area felt even emptier than usual. Naruto stopped his walking, and clenched his fists.

_Those damn pricks,_ He thought. _They're lucky I didn't tear their heads off._ The boy stopped in his tracks at his thought. Since when had he been so violent? What kind of person his age thought those sorts of things?

Naruto shook his head. It was a bad idea to think that he could enjoy a walk among the people. Meeting Jiraiya had made him too optimistic.

(Namikaze Estate)

As the dejected Naruto walked through the gates, he was met with the sound of music. Passing the comatose Zabuza, he followed the notes to the fountain out in the front of the house. One of his clones was lying down on the ground as it listened to Tayuya playing.

_Tayuya..._ From the many times that he had popped his clones, the memories he got back were always of her playing. The girl had barely gone out of the estate, finding it more satisfying to be away from the other villagers. _If I remember, she's some of the only people who ever showed me gratitude. _

The music stopped, bringing Naruto back to his senses. Tayuya was staring at him.

"So it was a clone again," she said, referring to the "Naruto" next to her. There was a hint of disappointment in her voice. "I figured that was the case." The clone exploded into smoke, and Naruto received images of her endeavors. He chuckled at the memory of Tayuya failing to make herself a meal. Haku found her sulking, and made her lunch. The girl reluctantly accepted. "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing. Don't mind me." He took a seat next to the redhead, who promptly made a bigger gap between them. There was an awkward silence. Tayuya began swinging her legs, secretly hoping for the boy to either say something, or leave. She soon found that it was up to her to poke at him.

"Your glare is kinda making me uncomfortable. Did something happen?" She heard him sigh.

"Nothing worth mentioning. Just some personal things." He left it at that. Tayuya seemed to accept this, not being one to pry.

"Alright then." She brought the flute back to her lips, and continued to play. It helped improve Naruto's mood, but there was a nagging question in his mind.

"...Hey, Tayuya." The girl looked at him, and put her flute down. There was a pensive look on his face. "Am I...a good person?"

"...What?"

"Am I a good person?"

"The hell does that mean?"

"I don't know. Just tell me." Tayuya's eyebrows furrowed.

"I mean...you're nice." Naruto nodded.

"Okay, I'm nice. But am I 'good?'" The girl stood up. She was beginning to feel frustrated from being interrogated randomly.

"Look, I can't answer a question that you can't explain. You're a nice guy, so you should be satisfied with that." She began to walk away.

"Tayuya!" Naruto ran towards the girl. As he neared her, his face became more troubled. Tayuya was getting nervous from the boy was getting too close for her liking. "I have a request."

"And what's that?"

"...Hug me." Tayuya lost her footing, and nearly fell forward. Luckily, or unfortunately, Naruto was there to catch her. Tayuya tensed up at the contact, and jumped away.

"You idiot!" she exclaimed. Her face was red with embarrassment. "Don't just say those things."

"I'm being serious. Hug me."

"I ain't hugging you! Why do you want me to, anyways?"

"I need to know what it feels like. I never really focused on what it felt like being held." When Hinata and Haku had held him before, he was too surprised to register anything but warmth.

"Then pick someone else like that Momo girl."

"But _you're_ here right now. I only need...1 hour."

"I don't want to touch you for one second!" Tayuya broke into a sprint, catching Naruto by surprise. He chased her around the estate.

"Come on, just do it!"

"Hell no! Leave me alone!"

The two ran towards the garden, where Haku was watering the flowers. The girl took notice of the game of tag that they were having.

"Get away from me!" Tayuya yelled. She jumped in the air, only for Naruto to do the same.

With that trajectory, Haku realized that the two would trample the flowers. Her eye twitched and her hands turned into blurs.

Just before they ruined her hard work, Haku yelled, "Sensatsu Suisho!" The water from her watering can burst out as needles. They shot towards Tayuya and Naruto, and hooked on their clothes. The pushing force caused the two to change direction mid-air until they were pinned against a wall.

"Naruto-kun," she said malevolently as she walked towards the two. Her face retained a smile, making her even more scary. "Tayuya-san. Could you please enlighten me as to why you two are being so rowdy?" The water needles disappeared, but the two stayed where they were. They went into seiza position.

"This punk is trying to start a fight," Tayuya exclaimed. Haku nodded, and looked at the blonde.

"I was just asking a favor, and she's making a big deal of it."

"That doesn't mean you can just cause trouble. You could have broken something." She put her hands on her hips. Haku reminded them of a teacher. "Now I want you two to think about your actions, and get to a compromise."

"Yes ma'am," They said in unison. Satisfied, Haku nodded and left to get another watering can.

"Control freak," Tayuya muttered. Haku heard this, and pulled out her senbon.

"What was that?" she asked sweetly. The redhead bowed her head.

"Nothing." After a glare, Haku walked away. Tayuya and Naruto stayed in seiza silently, until Naruto decided to speak up.

"I'm sorry for springing that request on you," he apologized. "It wasn't right for me to try and force you to do something you don't want to do." He bowed his head, making Tayuya feel uncomfortable and guilty.

"Don't be so polite. I'm sorry for pushing you away. For all that you've done for me, I was a bit unreasonable." Naruto stood up.

"I'm going to my room. Sorry again." Just as he was about to take his first step, Tayuya grabbed hold of his coat. She was fidgeting.

"...One minute."

"What?"

"I said one minute. I'll hug you for one minute." Naruto stared with surprise at his new friend. He didn't think that she would actually accept his request. Tayuya stood up, and faced him. She was shorter than the jinchuuriki. "I swear to you. If you touch me anywhere, I'll rip your junk off." Naruto nodded, and stood awkwardly. Due to their neglected childhood, neither of the two knew how to initiate a hug. "Crouch a bit, fishcake." The blonde did so until they were equal height. "Now close your eyes." Once he did, he heard her take a deep breath. "Alright, here we go."

Tayuya hesitantly brought her arms up, and wrapped them around his head. The first thing Naruto thought of, was the softness that was pressing against his cheek. He felt his face heat up, but he didn't dare say anything to the girl. As for Tayuya, she wasn't faring well either. Naruto tried to focus on the feeling. It was warm and soft...and she smelled nice. He wondered if this was what all girls felt like. Tayuya's breath tickled his head. She imagined that Naruto's hair smelled like what warm sunlight felt. After a while, the girl brought one of her hands to his head, and lightly patted it. The feeling reminded her of a fluffy puppy's fur.

"...You're a good person, Naruto," she said softly. She never felt so girly in her life. Meanwhile, Naruto was a bit stunned. It was probably the first time she had ever called him by his name. "Don't let other people bring you down. You are much better than them." The boy opened his eyes, and found himself staring at Tayuya's red hair. He imagined it would have seen the same sight if Kushina was alive to hold him.

"...Tayuya." Her warmth instantly vanished. The blonde found Tayuya standing a few feet away, playing with a strand of her hair. She was trying to mask her blush by frowning, but Naruto couldn't help but find it cute.

"That was one minute. Time's up." Naruto scratched his head, still feeling embarrassed.

"Fair enough. Is 'thanks' something I should be saying in this situation?" Tayuya turned away.

"Just don't mention it ever again, and we'll be even." She quickly walked away, but Naruto sent a clone to accompany her. "Stop following me, ya stalker!" she yelled. Naruto let out a chuckle, and turned in for the day. Tomorrow was going to be the start of his training.

(Tomorrow, Team 7 Training Ground)

"So you know tree walking?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yes," Naruto replied without interest.

"Water walking?"

"Yup."

"How about the Bunshin no Jutsu?"

"OF COURSE I DO!" Naruto finally snapped. For the past 30 minutes, the Sage had listed simple techniques, asking if the blonde knew them. It was a given that he did, but it seemed that Jiraiya didn't know that. "I know the Kawarimi, I know the Henge, and I know how to freaking throw a shuriken!"

"You never know. What if you somehow skipped a basic technique? Even something as simple as the Bunshin can turn the tide in battle."

"I already know the _Kage _Bunshin. Isn't there something you can teach me that I don't already know?" Jiraiya cupped his chin, and let out a hum.

"Hmm...Tell me, do you know about your Chakra?"

"Huh? Of course I do. What kind of question is that?"

"I guess I should ask a different question. Have you ever heard of the Nine Tailed Fox?"

"Oh, you mean Momo?" Jiraiya stared at his student in confusion.

"Who?"

"Momo. Here, I'll introduce you." Naruto sent some chakra to his seal, and called for his prisoner. The girl appeared in a puff of smoke instantly. Once there, Naruto's focus went to her red hair. It was more crimson than red, but it was still in that color group. As Naruto stared, the previous scene with Tayuya flooded back into his mind, marking his cheeks with a pink hue. He wondered of Momo felt the same as her. Unbeknownst to him, or maybe he forgot, she read his thoughts and sent a jealous glare at him.

"Naruto-kun?" she asked. "What did you call me for? I was in the middle of something." She noted the Sage next to Naruto, and the two made eye contact.

"Naruto, who's this?" Jiraiya asked. He noticed his student's flustered state. Seeing this, he chuckled at the possible relations between the two. Perhaps he could get in a volume or two from them. Boy, was he unready for the truth.

"This is Momo. The Kyuubi!" Jiraiya's shot open like popcorn. He could his breathing stop as he instantly fell back, looking very close to having a heart attack. His lips started sputtering like a fish.

"The K-k-k-k-k-Kyu! The Kyu-"

"Ubi," Momo finished. "Yeah. That's me. I'm going to guess that this is someone important that you'd reveal my identity, Naruto-kun." Naruto nodded. He unconsciously inched closer the girl with twitching arms.

"This is Jiraiya, the Toad Sage. My godfather." Momo noticed his slow advances, making a smile form on her face. There was a burst of elation in her from knowing that he wanted her touch.

"Oh, I remember someone by that name. Back when I was sealed in your mother, there was this huge pervert that sometimes visited her and the Fourth." The two stared at the still sputtering Sage. He had evolved from sputters to large wheezes. Naruto shook his head as his fascinations of the legendary Jiraiya shattered right in front of him.

"He told me that he'd train me for the exams, but we're not getting anywhere." Momo gave the blonde a small pout. She inched away, if only to torture the blonde. Apparently, he was desperate for contact.

"You should have come to me for training. I would've taught you some useful Jutsus and _moves_." The tone she used suggested something more than she let on.

"Yeah, but I need to at least give some of the other competitors a chance. If I train through your regime any more than I have all these years, then I'll definitely win in the first minute." Naruto was only a foot away, but there was a constant distance what with her moving away.

"Since when did you care about things like that? You even came up with-"

"JUST WAIT A DARN MINUTE!" Jiraiya screamed. He grabbed the two, effectively separating them. The two showed signs of annoyance, with one being more oblivious than the other. The Sage ignored them, and shunshined them in a secluded area outside the Forest of Death.

"Home sweet home," Naruto sighed, looking at his former kingdom. He started to get teary eyed.

"Who cares about that?" Jiraiya pulled the blonde to his side, and pointed at Momo. "You're telling me that this is the Kyuubi?" Naruto nodded nonchalantly, confusing the man even more.

"Yeah, I just said so. She said so too." Here was a Jinchuuriki, a term that signified that a Bijuu being sealed inside of them, declaring that the demon they are supposed to hold back is out in the open. It was normal for anyone to be freaking out like Jiraiya was.

"Why are you saying this like it's nothing? The Kyuubi should be sealed inside your stomach! Quick, take off your clothes!" Naruto's face blanked, before fear overcame him. The Sage began to tug on his clothes, fully intent on taking them off. He let out a very feminine scream that Momo was stunned to hear

"No! I'm just an innocent boy! RAPE! RAAAAAPE!" Momo couldn't help but find amusement in the boy's predicament. The blonde found himself on the ground without a shirt, rocking to and fro.

"Stop overreacting, kid, I just wanted to look at your seal!"

"You should've just said so," Naruto cried. "I feel so violated." He stood up, and faced the Sage. The seal appeared for him to examine.

"Hm...There doesn't seem to be anything wrong. Nothing has been removed, and nothing has been added. If that girl is the Kyuubi as you've said, then how is it-"

"She," Naruto and Momo interjected.

"_SHE_. How is she outside?"

"Well, that's a long story."

"I have time." Naruto stomped his foot.

"We're supposed to be training!" he complained. "He may not be my opponent, but I need to be able to beat someone like Gaara." Jiraiya scratched his head.

"I don't know what to teach you." Naruto let our a tired sigh.

"Just teach me the Kuchiyose and Rasengan!"

"Those two, huh? Well, I guess I owe you that much."

"You owe me a LOT more." Jiraiya grunted, and took out the scroll that hung on his back. He nearly smirked at the sight of the blonde continuing his advances.

"The Kuchiyose will be easier, but I don't think you'll be able to use it in your match. First, just watch me." The Sage bit his right thumb, and smeared it on his left palm. "The hand seals go: Boar, dog, bird, monkey, then ram. After that," Jiraiya slammed his palm on the ground, where an array of seals appeared and spread out. Just like in the hot spring, a plume of smoke appeared where the sage was. Once it was clear, the man was sitting on a large toad. "And that's it. Simple enough, right?" Naruto nodded. "Okay. Catch." The blonde stretched out his arms to finally catch Momo, but instead caught the scroll. He grumbled at the Sage, before unraveling item on the ground. The contents consisted of writing written in blood. "Utilizing the Kuchiyose requires you to make a blood contract with the type of familiar you want to summon. This is the scroll for the toads. Sign away."

"Neat," Naruto said, before biting his thumb. "Can you do something like this, Momo-chan?" The Bijuu scoffed.

"I am a powerful being just by myself. I have no need of any familiar." She smirked at Naruto. "Except for you, that is." Naruto returned her smirk tenfold.

"I'd say it's the opposite." Naruto smeared the blood to all his fingertips, and pressed them at the bottom of his name. "There you go." He stood up to examine his work, when he noticed the name next to his. His lips curled up slightly. "Minato Namikaze...Hey, dad. Second generation Namikaze summoner is on the way."

"Okay," Jiraiya said, taking the scroll back. "I'm going to take you somewhere else to do this Jutsu." His student tilted his head in confusion.

"Isn't this place fine? I'm just going to summon a regular toad, right?"

"Actually, because of your large chakra reserves, I want you to try and summon the boss toad. His name is Gamabunta. But to do that, I have to make you pull out the large amount of chakra needed to do it. There is a special place we're going to go to." Jiraiya grabbed Naruto and Momo's arms, and shunshined them on a cliff. At some point in the shunshin, though seemingly impossible, Naruto had finally closed the gap between him and his tenant. Before Momo could realize it, she found the blonde's arms wrapped around her waist. She let out a quiet moan at the sensation of the blonde nuzzling his head on the crook of her neck. Naruto himself let out a satisfied sigh. Just as he expected from a being of Chakra and fire, the girl emanated a sensation like a kotatsu, or a fireplace. Her scent reminded him of the forest that had raised him for so long. "AHEM!" Jiraiya was fuming from being ignored, and had enough of the little scene in front of him. Though secretly, he couldn't be happier for his godson. He was even a bit jealous. "Sorry to separate you from each other, but you're the one who wanted to start his training." Reluctantly, Naruto contracted his arms and walked towards the Sage. Momo growled at Jiraiya, which was enough for the old man to nearly wet his pants. Naruto looked down to see a chasm filled with spikes. If he were to fall in there, it would be near impossible to get a grip with the slippery stalagmites. "To make you summon Gamabunta, I'll have to put you in a life or death situation."

"I really hope you're not going to drop me down there," he voiced. Jiraiya tried to look innocent, and shrugged his shoulders.

"I mean I could. If that's what you want."

"You're not seriously trying to make it sound like I want you to, are you?"

_Just telling you, Naruto-kun, _Momo's voice sounded. _From what I've seen in Kushina, the toad boss is very irritable and doesn't like Jiraiya that well. Do with this information as you will._ Naruto raised an eyebrow, and looked at his teacher.

The two stared at each other, while Momo stared at her prison. She really hoped that he would do what she was thinking of.

"...Tell me, Jiraiya-san," Naruto inquired in a sickly sweet tone. "How do I know if I summoned the boss? I don't know how he looks like. Perhaps you can show me." Jiraiya gave his student a suspicious look. There was a clear mischievous tone in his voice, but there seemed to be nothing to gain. He shrugged, thinking that it was a genuine question.

"Sure, why not?" Jiraiya performed the summoning again, and summoned a large toad with size that rivaled Momo's true form. Naruto could feel a rumbling in the air. It took while to realize that it was a voice.

"JIRAIYA!" it bellowed, making the trees shake and bend. "What reason have you summoned me to this bleak place? I have told you many times to not call me at all!" Jiraiya stammered, realizing that he had been played.

"W-well, you see-" He didn't get to finish, as Gamabunta took the Sage in his huge oily hands.

"NO EXCUSES!" The toad reared its arm, and threw his summoner down into the chasm. The man's scream could be heard as he fell lower and lower towards the spikes. Gamabunta turned his attention towards the pair, who stared blankly at the receding image of Jiraiya. One look at the blonde, and he thought he was seeing ghosts.

"Kid," he boomed. "You're Minato's..."

"Yup," he deadpanned. The two locked eyes.

"Contract?"

"Uh-huh."

"Sake?"

"If you want."

"3 Barrels."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Good."

"Good."

"See ya." Naruto nodded, before finally jumping down to save Jiraiya. Gamabunta looked at Momo, who smirked and traced a line across her eye to mock their battle. She followed the blonde down. "Hmph! Damn vixen."

(Later)

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted as he slammed his palm on the ground. In a puff of smoke, he found himself on top of a large toad. "And what's your name?"

"I'm clumsy, but my name is Gamaken. Are you the new summoner?"

"You don't look clumsy, and yes, I am." Naruto grinned, as he wrote the name of the toad. "Be prepared when I summon you again."

"I will take that into consideration. Please make good use of me. You see, I'm quite clumsy." With that, Gamaken disappeared. As Naruto summoned numerous toads for training, he wrote down their names and features so that he could remember them. Among the toads were the sons of Gamabunta; Gamakichi and Gamatatsu. They were a interesting pair, and appeared more than the other toads.

Naruto stretched his arms. "That's it," he groaned. "I'm done." Finally feeling the effects of multiple summons, the blonde's knees legs lost their strength. Momo was there to catch him, and immediately held his body close to hers. She looked at Jiraiya, who was still bitter from Gamabunta.

"I'm going to take him home, and let him rest," she informed. "I hope you will train him again when he wakes up." Jiraiya nodded, before adopting a serious look.

"Tell me," he demanded. "How well can he handle your chakra? Can he..." He traced a line from his back, and away of his body to symbolize a tail. Momo looked down with despair in her eyes.

"I don't like training him on controlling my chakra. It hurts him too much."

"There are rumors out there. Of a group hunting down tailed beasts. The jinchuuriki of the Yonbi and Gobi has gone missing." Momo's eyes furrowed.

"Goku," she mumbled. "Kokuo." Jiraiya took note of the conflicting looks the girl gave him. She bit her lip. "Is it really imperative that I train him in that?" Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. He was still suspicious about Momo, but they way Naruto interacted with her showed a close bond. He wanted to confirm that her feelings were genuine. He had forgotten how many lives he had taken of those who pretended to care for the blonde. Despite being a seemingly all-powerful construct of Chakra, the Sage was not afraid to raise his blade for betraying his godson.

"You act as if you're concerned for him. You'd think that a powerful being like you would be vengeful towards her prison." There was a faraway look in Momo's eyes, as if she was recounting every minute of her life.

"A man once told me and my siblings that we would always be connected to each other. He was a great man who believed that love and cooperation were the keys to peace. Before he died, he predicted the emergence of a person who would teach us the true meaning of strength and power." Her hand rose to Naruto's face, and stroked his face affectionately.

"And you believe that Naruto is that person?" A soft shade of pink bloomed on her face. She held Naruto's body closer as if the boy would slip past her fingers if she loosened her grip.

"I don't know. But after that man died, I roamed the land and fed on the darkest emotions that humankind had to offer. I was filled with so much anger, that I started hating him for leaving us to fend for ourselves against a world that rejected our existence. But then the Uzumaki clan got a hold of me. Thus began my imprisonment. Mito and Kushina tried to befriend me, but I kept pushing them away. I saw them as only food when they felt depressed. But they barely were. They always thought of me as a person. And then I was sealed into Naruto-kun, who unlike Kushina and Mito, grew up without the love of another. I watched him grow up into the man he is now. I sensed his emotions. No matter how much he hated the people of the village for ostracizing him, he tried his best to forgive them. Even love them. I had no idea why he thought this, but I found out that its just how he is. I have a strong feeling that he represents what Hagoromo predicted." Jiraiya raised an eyebrow on the name Hagoromo. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember anything. Instead, he had another question.

"And how do you feel about Naruto-kun?" A small smile adorned her face, and a chuckle left her lips.

"...It's stupid, really. Someone like me shouldn't feel like this. It started out as a stupid crush..." Her eyes widened at realizing that she had said too much. Jiraiya looked at her with a small grin on his face.

"I see..." Momo growled at the man, daring him to make any comment about her slip up. "I'm glad to see that my godson has such good company. That's all I need to know." He bowed politely. "Please continue being with him and keeping him safe."

"I will. I kinda have to." Standing up, Momo started her journey back to the estate.

"One last thing." Jiraiya looked into Momo's eyes, trying to find any hint of dishonesty. "Can I write about this?" He chuckled perversely. Momo's eye twitched, and the Sage found himself spiraling back into the chasm.

"TO HELL WITH YOU!"

(3 days later)

Naruto grunted, signaling that he was about to wake up. His eyes fluttered awake to find a black sharp object hovering above his face. Before his mind could even process it, his body acted by grabbing the object, and pulling sideways. He heard a surprised gasp as he grabbed the outstretched arm. Whatever the person was saying, he didn't recognized it right then. Naruto pushed forward, standing out of his bed, until the person was pressed against a wall.

"Stop it, Naruto!" he heard, putting him back in reality. He noticed the pineapple haircut, and the drone in the person's voice. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Shikamaru?" Naruto groaned, still groggy. He let go, and let the Nara heir fix the kink in his arm. "Shit, I'm sorry, man." He looked down, and saw a marker.

"God, you troublesome blonde. Control your strength. How do you have this much strength right when you get up?"

"Sorry, it's just...instinct. I acted before I thought." Shikamaru winced as he moved his arm.

"I think you dislocated my shoulder. Still..." He shrugged. "I guess this is a good excuse to skip training." It was then that he noticed the absence of pain, and the green glow. Sakura was beside him with a glowing palm. "Dammit."

"I won't have you insult us who aren't advancing by not taking your training seriously," she scolded. Naruto looked around to see the rest of his former classmates minus Hinata, Sasuke and Chouji. He knew that Hinata and Sasuke wereinjured, but he wondered where Chouji was. He could use one of his snacks. Among the visitors were Haku, Kiba, Shino, Ino, and Tenten. He had a hard time believing that Ino and Tenten would visit him, not conversing with them that much.

"Where's Chouji? Were his injuries that bad?" The dog boy shook his head with a chuckle.

"Nah," Kiba said. "He ate too much and needed to go to the hospital." Naruto rolled his eyes, and smiled. It had been so long since they had all been together, that he had forgotten how fun it was.

"I should visit him later," Naruto mumbled.

"When did you learn healing Jutsu?" Shikamaru asked Sakura. The pink haired girl played with her now short hair, and glanced at Naruto.

"I had strict teachers," she replied curtly. "It helps to learn when being pelted with senbon, ice and fire. Naruto and Haku shared a small smirk.

"So you all came here to visit me?" The blonde inquired.

"Well it's been three days since you've been awake," Ino answered, placing a bouquet on his bed. "Just a present. Anyways, Haku-san visited my family's store. She's a regular customer. When she came that day, she mentioned that you were knocked out after intense training. So I told Sakura, she told Hinata, Hinata told Kiba and Shino, and they told everyone else."

"I came here to deliver this," Tenten claimed as she brought out a long and thin box. She opened it up to reveal a flute. "An order was made to _my _family's shop for a battle flute under the name Naruto Uzumaki."

"Tayuya..." Naruto deadpanned. Before he could take the box, it disappeared. The red blur came in and exited faster than most of them could track.

"But I guess I could spare time for you."

"I brought this," Shikamaru announced, producing a basket of fruits. "I was going to give them to Chouji, but I have a feeling the nurses won't let me. But if you don't want it, you can have this." From his pocket, the pineapple head produced a single round cracker. Naruto's eye twitched as he took it.

"This is a cracker...for deer."

"I know." The Nara soon found himself on fire. He began to panic and do the old stop, drop and roll, only to find that there was no pain. He glared at the Uzumaki, who's eyepatch was in his hands. He began to cackle at his friend's dismay.

"The look on your face!" The others joined him, filling the room with the sound of laughter.

"Shut the hell up!" Zabuza whined as he stumbled into the room. He collapsed a second later, from another hangover. This only made them laugh harder, though Haku was not amused at her surrogate father.

(Later)

After a few hours, they gang began to leave. Naruto accompanied them to the gate.

"See you later!/Woof!" Kiba and Akamaru exclaimed. Shino accompanied him with a slight buzz as his farewell. "That was a good prank. Though you might want to look at your face." Naruto's eyebrows scrunched up, before running to the fountain. His mouthed shaped into a grin as he saw that his right whisker marks had been connected with his left.

"That damn Nara," he grumbled. Said boy emerged from the building with a satisfied grin on his face. "You got me."

"And you got me," he replied. "Come on. Let's visit Chouji."

"Sure. Let's eat the fruit in front of him."

"You troublesome blonde."

(Hospital)

Naruto and Shikamaru made their way to the hospital where Lee, Hinata, and Chouji were located.

"Chouji Akimichi," Shikamaru said to the woman at the counter. She replied with the room number. The Nara heir motioned for Naruto to follow him.

As they walked up the stairs, Naruto suddenly stopped. His sensitive ears thought he heard something unnatural.

"What is it?"

"...Nothing," Naruto assured hesitantly. "I thought I heard something." He took another step, when he heard it again. That raspy sound. Of sand rustling in the wind. Naruto's face took on the look of horror and anger, as he broke into a sprint. "Shikamaru! Follow me!" The boy was confused, but he didn't object the urgency in the blonde's voice. They neared a room with an open door. "Your shadow, Shikamaru!"

"Right! Kagemane no Jutsu!" His shadow stretched into the room, and grabbed hold of a person standing. Naruto ran inside to find Gaara standing above the sleeping Rock Lee. His sand levitated in the air, spiraling above them. Naruto reared back his fist, and caught the Jinchuuriki by surprise. Gaara grunted, and staggered back, making Shikamaru do the same.

"Watch it," he yelled, getting an apologetic look from Naruto. The blonde focused back on the redhead. Where his cheek had been struck, was a crack with spilling sand.

"Gaara," Naruto growled. "What do you think you are doing?"

"I am going to kill him," he rasped calmly. The pair's eyes steeled. Shikamaru was surprised to see that Gaara could move, albeit very slowly.

"Why?"

"Because I want to. Do not get in my way, or I will kill you too."

"Don't try to anger him," Shikamaru warned. "He's a monster."

"That makes two of us," Naruto whispered. Gaara turned to Naruto.

"We are the same, but why do you resist the bloodshed?" There was a genuine curiosity in his voice.

"That's because we are not. Not fully, anyways. I found what keeps me sane."

"What, you mean that he has one in him as well? Jeeze, what lovely parents he must've had." Gaara's forehead twitched.

"_Love,_" He growled. "You know what I have to do with _love_? My family is only meat to be slaughtered. I am the Kazekage's son, and the village's masterpiece. My father taught me the life of Shinobi. I was spoiled, and was allowed to do as I please. I thought for sure that _that_ was love." A manic grin ran across Gaara's face. "But then it happened. My father, for 6 years, tried countless times to assassinate me! I was the village's trump card, and its greatest threat. That's when I realized that I was just an object to those people. They didn't care for me. That's why I questioned my existence. Killing is my way of knowing that I was alive. Without a reason to live, it would be the same as being dead."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, knowing full well what he was talking about. It was the same for him. Had he not resolved to protect his friends and himself, he would've engulfed the village in flames long ago.

"I would advise against fighting here," Naruto warned. "More than just you will die."

"I will not die so easily," Gaara threatened. "Not like you." The Jinchuuriki looked ready to do battle, when Gai suddenly appeared.

"Seize!" He yelled. He glared at Gaara. "Unless you want to stay here for the night, I suggest you don't try my patience. Save it for the exams." Gaara gave a deathly stare, but then grasped his head in pain. Shikamaru released his Jutsu, allowing the boy to walk away.

"I will kill all of you. Remember that." It took a few minutes until the three released the breath that they didn't know they were holding.

"I thank you," Gai said to the pair Genin. "You have saved my student from death. Though..." He looked to the still sleeping Lee. "I don't think he'll handle the news well."

"What news?" Naruto asked.

"The doctors have all agreed that in his state, Lee can no longer be a ninja. Such a pity." Naruto already knew, but it still made him sad for his fallen comrade. From what he saw and Tenten mentioned, Naruto knew that Lee was very cheerful, and proclaimed his strength to the world everyday. Knowing that he would never be a ninja was going to destroy him.

_There is nothing you or I can do, _Momo sadly claimed. _I'm sorry.  
><em>Naruto assured her that it was okay.

"Come on, Shikamaru. Let's visit Chouji." Shikamaru could only nod, and follow his friend.

(Later)

Second day of training with the Pervy Sage.

"The Kuchiyose was easy," Jiraiya informed. "The Rasengan will take much longer to master. Especially with your chakra."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"Simply put, your chakra control is not at the level to use this technique. You've been getting used to flaring your Chakra uncontrollably, that you've been neglecting your basic training. Both in your mission in Wave and the second exam, rumor has it that you were dishing out high level Jutsu left and right. I also heard that you developed a technique to imitate the Hyouton. Do you think something that requires small amounts of Chakra? I bet you can't even make a healthy looking Bunshin anymore." Naruto scoffed.

"We'll see about that. Bunshin no Jutsu!" In a puff of smoke, a cartoonish and deflated clone appeared, and sank to the ground. "What the hell? I know I did it right! Bunshin no Jutsu!" Another clone appeared, looking just a bit better. "What is wrong with me?"

"You see? The Rasengan is pure Chakra control. You manipulate, shape and compress Chakra into a spiraling ball. Recently, you've traded control for pure impact. But I will fix that. For this, there are three steps." Jiraiya took out a scroll, and unsealed a bag. Naruto peered inside to see water balloons and balls. Each was the size of the Rasengan. "Now you actually already know two things about this technique. Your tree walking required focus and concentration for long periods of time. After that, your water walking required a fixed amount of Chakra continuously. Those are needed for the Rasengan. This is your first step." Jiraiya took one of the water balloons, and held it out. It was to Naruto's surprise when the ball began to convulse and eventually rupture. "You need to use the constant Chakra flow of water walking for this. See if you can do what I did."

"This'll be easy," Naruto claimed with confidence, not knowing the real challenge it posed.

(Skipping Training because of laziness)

It was the day before the exams.

"Again!" Jiraiya yelled. Naruto gripped his wrist, and focused on the center of his palm. No matter how many times he saw it, Naruto found the technique beautiful. Blue chakra materialized in his hand like a miniature spherical tornado. But unlike Jiraiya's, his was bigger and lighter. It was like a water balloon with too much air, and not enough water.

"HaaaAAH!" Naruto shouted as he rushed towards the dummy. But as he thrust the sphere on the stomach area, the Rasengan dissipated without a lot impact.

"Again!" Naruto cursed, and jumped back. He tried again, with the same results.

"Dammit! Why won't it hit?"

"Remember your training, Naruto. What you are lacking is proper compression. You have the sphere shape and the rotation, but the ball is too big for the amount of Chakra you're putting into it. Unless you're thinking to make a globe sized Rasengan, either add more chakra, or find a way to compress it further.

"I am TRYING!"

"Then try find a different way! Again!" Naruto clenched his teeth. He was running out of his normal Chakra, and getting near to Momo's. This time, Naruto hovered his hand above his other. The extra hand acted as a boundary to help restrict the size of the ball. He figured smaller was better in this case. With this, he charged the dummy and targeted the stomach once more. There was a clear difference, with the Rasengan making a huge impact. The dummy flew backwards, spinning like a shuriken. Jiraiya nodded in approval. It surprised him just how fast he was mastering Minato's technique. Perhaps he was a prodigy in his own right.

"Good! Now, why don't you train with two hands, and eventually keep it with one? This will be our final day of training." Naruto looked at his teacher with gratitude.

"Thank you, Jiraiya-Sensei! I won't let you down." The white haired man put his hand on Naruto's head. This time, the blonde didn't push him away.

"You better not. With each passing day, you remind me of your father. Perhaps at some point in the future, you'll surpass him. Good luck on your exam."

"I'll definitely win. I have a promise to keep." The blonde waved his teacher goodbye. "Now..." Naruto used two hands to replicate the technique, but didn't move to do anything else. Instead, he stood still, and let it run for a few minutes. He tried to memorize every little aspect of the sphere in his two hands. "Now with one..." He removed his other hand. The sphere he created was smaller than the last time with one hand, but still too big for the damage he desired. It was going to be a long night.

(Few hours later)

"Naruto-kun," Haku called as she neared the training hall. "We're about to have dinner." She knocked on the large doors, waiting for a response. When no response came, she opened the door to find the blonde lying on the floor and breathing heavily. He had exhausted himself, and was feeling the repercussions of it. As Haku walked inside, she noticed the many holes that riddled the wall. Some were bigger than others. The girl knelt next to her friend, and stared at his face. Despite the exhaustion, there was a content and peaceful look on his face. She stroked his hair, making his eye open. The two stared each other for a while as Naruto tried to find his voice.

"Haku-chan," he wheezed. "I...did it. I think." She smiled, and used her ice to cool Naruto down. He was more than appreciative. "Thanks. You were saying something about dinner?" Haku giggled and grabbed his arm. With a grunt of effort, she put the blonde on her back, and carried him to the main building. Naruto settled himself against her body, and wrapped his arms around her upper torso. His head hung over her shoulder, making his cheek touch hers. It seemed he was still yearning for the touch of a woman.

Haku, whose face lit up like a lantern, let out a small squeak. "N-Naruto-kun?" She nudged her head to get his attention, but all that came out was the sound of snoring. The girl sighed. "Please do not tease me so, Naruto-kun." She put the boy in his bed, and saved a serving of the food for him.

(The next day)

Naruto stretched his arms with a satisfied groan. As he made his way towards the stadium, his excitement grew. He would be able to show his strength to everyone.

"Today's the day," he said to himself. "That bastard is going down." The image of the prodigy in his mind made lowered his mood.

Taking a scenic route near the forest, Naruto stopped. His ears picked up the sound of repeated thumping on wood. The boy followed the sound to Team 8's training ground to find Hinata practicing her Gentle Fist on a log. Her fluid motion reminded him of flowing water, as she twisted around her target. Hinata slammed her open palm on the middle of the log. There was a slight pause, before a sudden gale blasted the wood from its resting place. Hinata stood still to catch her breath.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto finally called. Hinata's body stiffened from hearing his voice. "You're better now?" The girl hid her bruised hands behind her back, and faced Naruto with a gentle smile.

"Good morning," she greeted. "Are you on your way to the exams?"

"What were you doing?" The heiress froze.

"I'm just practicing some simple katas." Naruto nodded, but knew that she was lying. The way she was striking the log was more forceful than she let on. He glanced at the fallen piece of wood to see small holes where she had been hitting. There was an indent where she had made her last blow.

"You just got out of the hospital, Hinata-chan. You shouldn't be injuring yourself like this." Naruto walked to the heiress. The closeness made her blush, as Naruto reached around her back to grab her arms. She winced a bit. "See? You're hurt." He took her hands in his as gently as he could. A green glow enveloped his hands. Hinata could feel the warmth radiate from his touch as her pain slowly faded away.

"You're going to be fighting Neji-niisan, aren't you?" Naruto nodded. "He's incredibly strong and smart. He's a true prodigy. No doubt, it will be hard to beat him." Her lips curved up into a smile. "But even though, I have no doubts that you'll win." The blonde looked at her with surprise.

"You really think so? You would think that Hyuugas would boast the strength of their clan members." Hinata shook her head.

"Neji-niisan may be strong, but you're stronger than him. After all, you're fighting for something other than yourself."

"I'm fighting for you." Though her hands were already healed, Naruto still held them in his. "I'll be knocking that prick off his high horse, Hinata-chan. I hope you'll be there to see it."

"Of course I will...You can let go of my hands now. You need to get to the building before they think you're forfeiting." Naruto's cheeks turned pink. He slowly released his grip. Hinata's hands instantly felt cold, so she clasped them to preserve the warmth. "Good luck." Naruto matched her smile with a grin of his own.

"Of course."

(Stadium)

"Sasuke isn't here," Naruto noted as he looked around. The blonde stood shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the fighters, waiting for the opening statements.

"That bandaged guy from Oto isn't here either," Shikamaru groaned.

"Enough with the whispering," Genma scolded. "Face the audience." Genma was the new proctor, replacing Hayate. This made Naruto wonder where the sickly man was, but he dismissed it as being unfit to continue his proctor duties.

"The Kazekage has arrived." Naruto, instead of looking at the newly arrived leader, turned his attention to Gaara. The redhead stared at the Kazekage. It must have been a trick of the light, but he thought he saw a small look of surprise. Naruto looked at Sarutobi's counterpart. There was something...off about him. His face was obscured by a veil, revealing only his eyes. It was peculiar dress for such an event. From what he could see, the Hokage and the Kazekage were having a little conversation.

_Hokage-jiji should know about the planned invasion,_ Naruto thought. _There must be many guards and such both outside and inside of the area._ He figured that the reason for Sarutobi to not cancel the exams was for the reputation of the village, and the risk of war starting inside the village.

The Hokage rose from his seat, and addressed his and the other village's people. "Welcome," boomed his voice with the authority he carried. "and thank you, for those who are here to witness Konohagakure's Chunin selection exam!" His words caused a wave of cheers to fill the stadium. "We will now begin the matches, so please stay until the very end!" With that, he sat down. Genma held a piece of paper for the Genin to read. They noticed the absence of Dosu's name.

"Question," Naruto announced. "Sasuke's not here, so what are we going to do about that?"

"According to the rules," Genma answered. "If he is not here by the time of his match, then he is disqualified." The blonde nodded, understanding his friend's situation. If it was the case that Sasuke was disqualified, he was going to make sure that his fist was well acquainted with the Uchiha's face. "That's that. The stage is different, but the rules remain the same. Death or forfeit determines the winner. The first fight is between Neji Hyuuga, and Naruto Uzumaki." As the rest of the fighters made their way to the waiting room, Naruto and Neji stood face to face with mutual glares. Naruto broke eye contact to look for Hinata. He smiled when he found her sitting next to Kiba They were separate from the rest of their classmates. He also saw Hiashi and Hanabi, the latter of which was fervently waving at him to get his attention. Haku sat with the rest of the academy graduates. Then his eyes narrowed. It seemed Kiba also noticed the ANBU sitting behind them, though there was something peculiar about that particular agent. Naruto was unable to think about it any further, due to his fight.

"You will not win," Neji said coolly. "Fate will decide me the winner."

"We'll see," Naruto replied. The prodigy clicked his tongue, before going into the familiar stance of the Gentle Fist. His Byakugan was activated.

"Begin!" Genma announced. Naruto immediately summoned several Kage Bunshin to test his opponent's skills. By the way the Hyuuga was looking between the clones, he could tell that the Byakugan had trouble distinguishing the clone from the real. Naruto ordered his copies to charge.

"Do not take me for a fool!" Neji broke his stance to fight all of the clones at once. Not once did the copies hit him. The Hyuuga's hands were like blurs as they ripped one body after another.

"I hate to admit it," Naruto mumbled to himself. He winced as he felt the pain of his clones. "His taijutsu is superior to mine...Not that I have a style to begin with." The last of his Kage Bunshin were popped with the same palm strike that Hinata had used on the log. He returned to his stance with a calm face.

"Is this the strength of the future Hokage? With destined weakness, there is no way you will rule over me." Naruto's teeth gnashed together. His talk of destiny and fate really pissed him off. "You seem to believe that hard work and will are the key to shaping a life, but it is time for you to face reality. If you are to be Hokage, then fate will make it so. If not, then failure is your future."

"Do not speak to me of fate!" Naruto yelled as he rushed to his opponent. Neji smirked, and ducked the blonde's punch. But before he could close the tenketsu in the blonde's arm, he retracted it. The prodigy was surprised to find a hand grasping his wrist. "I will not have any of it." Naruto planted his foot on the ground, and pulled on Neji's limb. He threw the boy aside like unwanted garbage. As Neji righted himself, he took out a kunai to deflect a rain of projectiles that threatened to skewer him. With his Byakugan, he noticed more clones being created. The copies jumped in the air, creating a sort of dome around him. "Show me what you can do." Naruto and his clones performed the Kunai and Shuriken Kage Bunshin. There was nowhere that projectiles weren't coming towards Neji, but the boy was unfazed. In fact, there was a smug look on his face. He began to spin in place with his arms outstretched. Under the barrage of steel, a dome of rotating Chakra was created. The dome deflected every single projectile, even sending them back at the owner. Naruto watched his clones pop. "The Kaiten. As expected of a genius." He knew of the technique from from what Hiashi and his daughters had told him. It was the absolute defense of the Hyuuga, taught only to those of the Main Branch. Glancing at the Hyuuga head, he saw the surprise on his and Hanabi's face. The same went for Hinata.

After deflecting all of the projectile, Neji slowed to a stop. There was a circular indent the size of the Kaiten where he stood. "As you can see, your efforts are futile. There is no way you can pierce the Hyuuga's Kaiten." It was his turn to attack, and he rushed towards the blonde. Naruto backpedaled to dodge the numerous finger thrusts that nearly made contact with his body. "You are smart to keep your distance, but it will not help." Neji sent his open palm towards Naruto's abdomen. "Hakke: Kuushou!" Naruto was unable to block the pressure that launched him backwards. Neji rushed towards the spinning blonde, and got into a stance that Naruto had only seen in the Hyuugas' scrolls. "You are within my field!"

"Shit!" Naruto exclaimed. Before he could even think of dodging, he felt two strikes to his body.

In the stands, Hinata gasped. "Oh no," she mumbled. "Not _that_ technique!"

"Two strikes!" Neji yelled, before continuing his attack. "4! 8!" Naruto felt his tenketsu closing. Alarms went up in his head, as he called for Momo. "16! 32! Hakke: Rokujuuyonshou!" Neji finished his technique with a particularly hard palm strike. Naruto landed face-down on the ground with a lour groan. His breathing was ragged, and his body trembled. Nothing responded the way he wanted it to. "Do not try to stand, Naruto Uzumaki. I have sealed all 64 of your tenketsu." Naruto lifted his head to meet the cold glare that Neji was pointing at him. "Do you see it now? Your untruthfulness. That you were caught in my technique proves that you are subject to fate. Did you really believe that hard work will be enough to beat me? You never had a chance. Just like Hinata-sama."

Hinata's breath hitched. Her blood boiled at the sight of her cousin mocking Naruto. It must've been the few times she was ever angry. Suddenly, she began to cough violently. A small bit of blood was left in her hand.

Drowning out Neji's rant, Naruto focused on the girl. No matter how she tried to hide it, Hinata had not completely recovered from her fight with her cousin. He could smell the scent of her blood from where her laid, and it made him bare his fangs. Beyond his pain, he struggled to move his arms. He could hear the shock that everyone voiced as he began to rise from the ground. Even Neji stopped monologue to voice his disbelief. From where he stood, he saw the suspicious ANBU healing Hinata.

"How dare you?" Naruto growled, finally standing. He spotted Momo watching him along with his friends. "How dare you decide the fight before it started. How dare you blame your suffering on fate." His fists clenched. "And how dare you insult Hinata-chan in front of me? Who do you think you are?"

"Do you know the pain of fate?" Neji countered. "The destiny of the Hyuuga is nothing but hatred. Tell me, have you ever heard of the Hyuuga's curse mark?" Naruto didn't say anything, though he had heard of it. He shared Hinata's goal to someday change that certain aspect of the clan. Neji removed his headband to reveal the mark of the Branch family, their very own cursed seal. "This is my curse. I am a bird in a cage to the Main Branch of the family. Without freedom, and without love. With a single hand seal, I can be killed." Naruto could barely keep focus from the pain as Neji explained the death of his father under the Main branch. He knew from Hiashi that Hinata was once kidnapped by a man from Kumo, right after a treaty was signed. The country used the treaty to demand the body of the head of the Main Branch. Sarutobi also told him about the incident, and recalled how war would've broken out if he did not comply. He cursed himself to be subject of a loophole. On the day of the exchange, Hizashi, Hiashi's twin brother, replaced his brother. With his death, the Byakugan and his blood were safely disposed of. "My father, equal to that of Hiashi-sama, was branded as inferior. He was sent to his death because of his destiny!" Neji reared his palm to the still recovering Naruto.

_Dammit! I haven't gone around to reopening my tenketsu!_ The next thing he felt was the assault on his heart. He was launched back into the ground from the hit.

"Proctor. End this match." Genma was about to do so, until Naruto groaned.

"No!" The Hyuuga stared in disbelief at the stubbornness of his opponent. Naruto struggled to stand once more. "I will not lose to someone like you. Not to a coward who blamed his misfortune on fate. You're not a bird tied by rope. You're a bird who never thought to break his own bindings." Neji let out a growl. He would not take insults from a half-dead fool.

"And how can you understand what it's like to be burdened with a seal that you will never rid yourself of!?" There was a silence among Naruto's comrades. It was a thick silence that made the Hyuuga feel like he was choking. He felt the killer intent of multiple people in amounts he had never felt before. It made him shudder. Neji made contact with the blonde's face, and his breathing stopped. The brightness of the sky was absent from his eye, replaced with dullness. His face held no emotion. Before long, he met his gaze, and offered up a glum smile.

"You have no idea," Naruto said. He stopped to look at where Hinata was. He saw the ANBU strike Kiba. His eye connected with Sarutobi, who nodded in understanding. The invasion was nearly upon them. "I have had enough of your ranting. Destiny this, fate that. You're like a broken record. Do you think I complain so much with everything I've gone through?" With trembling hands, he took a kunai and cut through the shirt and mesh that covered his body. The cloth and chain parted, letting Neji see the seal on his stomach. "I was burdened from birth as well. I was inferior to everyone's eyes as well." His eyes hardened. "I was without love as well. And yet here I am, still fighting." Neji's eyes widened. By blocking his tenketsu, it should have been impossible for Naruto to draw Chakra. So why was it that the circulation still flowed? The Byakugan could see the crimson red Chakra replacing the regular blue. But beyond all that, he saw something darker spinning around at his core. It felt like he was being stared at. "How about I show you what those from the bottom can do?"

"I can't let you do that! You forget about my abilities." Neji got into a familiar stance. "If I can close your Chakra once, I can do it again." Naruto doubled over at the first two strikes. He was subject once more to the devastating power of the Hyuuga's taijutsu. "2! 4! 8! 16! 32! 64!" At the end of the attack, Naruto found himself in the ground once more. His eyes were wide open, and his breathing stopped.

He laid there, devoid of life.

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><p>Omake<p>

Haku was in the Forest of Death on her weekly rounds for herbs and other plants. With a full basket, she took a break in her previous abode. Even though they didn't live in the forest anymore, Haku made it a habit to clean the house now and again. It was like a Summer house.

As she cleaned, she heard the sound of someone crying. Thoughts went to why anyone even thought of coming into the most dangerous forest in Konoha. If it was a child, then she needed to escort them out immediately.

Imagine her surprise, when she spotted Naruto in the distance. He was the one crying. But he was not alone. He was engaged in a literal bear hug with the beast he recognized as the same bear he had wrestled with when the ANBU agent created the Momochi pair's house. The bear was also crying.

"Kuma," Naruto sobbed. He was referring to the bear. "It's been a long time how have you been?"

"Roar. Roar. Roar." Kuma let out a series of grunts and snorts.

"Yeah? You got a family now? There are little cubs running around in the forest?" Kuma nodded. "Look at you, all grown up." His voice quivered. "My empire belongs to you now, Kuma. May your dynasty be long and prosperous." He turned away from the beast, and spared him the tears that flowed down his cheeks. "Now GO! Don't waste your time on an old man like me! You have a world to rule. You're the man now, bear!" Kuma sniffed, and disappeared in the forest's foliage. Naruto raised his head to where sky shone through the thick leaves. "And one day...when we are old and brittle, we'll meet again. On that day we will fight for old time's sake." His voice turned into a whisper. "In the future..."

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><p>Chapter end.<p>

Man, is my mind going to shit.

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